Immigration Minister Alex Hawke will not be making a decision tonight on whether to cancel Novak Djokovic’s visa as the saga drags into its seventh day.
WA Premier Mark McGowan is expanding proof-of-vaccination requirements for visitors to public and private hospitals, aged care facilities, and all hospitality venues including restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, clubs, taverns, nightclubs, and dine-in fast food businesses.
NSW has reported a record 92,264 new COVID-19 cases today; Victoria has recorded 37,169 new cases; Queensland has reported 14,914 new infections; ACT has recorded 1020 new COVID-19 cases; WA has recorded two new local cases and 14 cases in travellers; Tasmania has recorded 1100 new cases; South Australia has detected 3669 new cases; and the Northern Territory has reported 550 new cases of COVID-19.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced the relaxation of restrictions for workers in critical industries who are close contacts, to get more staff back to work and address growing food and workforce shortages.
Woolworths has reinstated a range of product limits on in-demand goods, slapping a two-pack per customer limit on toilet paper rolls and painkillers both in-store and online.
Australian Open organisers are optimistic strong crowds will still flock to Melbourne Park after the Victorian government capped crowds for the tennis major only days before it starts on Monday.

We’ll be back tomorrow morning. This is Esther Han signing off. Good night.

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8.01pm on Jan 13, 2022

Victorian teachers want federal government to delay start of school year

By Marta Pascual Juanola

Victoria’s education union says the federal government should consider delaying the start of the school year if Omicron cases continue to climb.

Speaking to Melbourne radio station 3AW earlier this evening, Victorian President of the Australian Education Union Meredith Peace said teachers were anxious about their return to the classrooms in 2.5 weeks, amid fears eased isolation rules for education workers could put young un-vaccinated students at risk.

“Children in our preschools and early childhood settings, as well as primary schools, by and large, aren’t vaccinated yet and some of them aren’t eligible,” she said.

“We are very concerned that we’ll have groups of people in our school communities who will be at risk if we face a situation where we’ve got workers who previously and currently are being asked to isolate because they are close contacts having the option to return.”

Ms Peace said COVID-19 testing before teachers returned to work would offer some peace of mind, but there had been no indication by the federal government that education staff would be prioritised for PCR and rapid antigen testing.

The Victorian government has committed to providing rapid antigen tests to sector workers, which Ms Peace hoped would be available by the time school started.

“We know that our children learn better when they’re on-site and they can be provided with the education programs and the support they need,” she said.

“But we also have to balance this with the health risk that exists in the middle of what is a really ferocious health pandemic that just keeps coming back and coming back.”

Ms Peace said the government should consider delaying the school year if infections continued to surge.

7.16pm on Jan 13, 2022

Hillsong camp attendees told to stop singing and dancing

NSW Health has asked the organisers of a Hillsong youth camp to immediately stop singing and dancing at the event after a video of attendees partying without wearing masks sparked public outrage.

Amid music festival and concert cancellations due to the Omicron wave, the megachurch was caught holding a three-day summer camp near Newcastle, north of Sydney, where attendees sang and danced maskless.

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Under the state’s Public Health Order, singing and dancing is prohibited at music festivals, hospitality venues, nightclubs, entertainment facilities and major recreation facilities.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said while the order does not apply to religious services, it does apply to major recreation facilities.

“This event is clearly in breach of both the spirit and intent of the order, which is in place to help keep the community safe,” he said.

A major recreation facility is defined in the Public Health Order to mean a building or place used for large-scale sporting or recreation activities that are attended by large numbers of people, whether regularly or periodically.

Hillsong defended holding the event, saying it was “not similar to a music festival in any way”.

“Our camps involve primarily outdoor recreational activities including sports and games,” it said.

“We follow strict COVID procedures and adhere to government guidelines.”

It said the video of attendees singing and dancing represented “only a small part of the program, and any singing is only a small part of each service”.

6.43pm on Jan 13, 2022

WA Premier announces toughest proof-of-vaccination rules in Australia

By Peter de Kruijff

WA Premier Mark McGowan is expanding proof-of-vaccination requirements for visitors to public and private hospitals, aged care facilities, and all hospitality venues including restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, clubs, taverns, nightclubs, and dine-in fast food businesses.

Mr McGowan said life would become very difficult for people who were unvaccinated from January 31, when the new rules took effect.

Mark McGowan announces new rules for the unvaccinated.Peter de Kruijff

They will also be banned from fitness centres, cinemas, play centres, Crown Perth, festivals, amusement parks, gyms and Perth Zoo.

Mr McGowan said he expected the new rules to be in place for years. Roadhouses, service stations and getting takeaway food will be exempt.

There were two local infections connected to contained outbreaks revealed on Thursday.

One of the new local cases has been linked to the Hyatt Hotel cluster, where a security guard tested positive to the Omicron strain, while the second is a household contact of a previously reported interstate traveller.

The other 14 are 11 interstate and three international travellers, all now in quarantine.

Read the full story here

5.58pm on Jan 13, 2022

Watch: WA Premier provides a COVID-19 update

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has provided a COVID-19 update.

5.32pm on Jan 13, 2022

Tomic tests positive to COVID-19 after Australian Open exit

By Michael Chammas

Bernard Tomic’s claims that he was struggling with COVID-19 during his first-round exit from the Australian Open qualifiers have been vindicated after the 29-year-old tested positive on Thursday.

The revelation could force tournament organisers to test all players and support staff who came into contact with Tomic during his time at Melbourne Park, including his opponent, Russia’s Roman Safiullin.

Bernard Tomic during a practice session on January 10.Gettu

Tomic is now isolating after receiving a positive test result 48 hours after he took to the court against Safiullin.

“I still feel pretty sick,” Tomic told the Herald and The Age after receiving the positive result. “I feel worse mentally than physically because I really was motivated to make a comeback and show the Australian public that I can be the tennis player they expect me to be. I’m disappointed this virus stopped me from doing that.”

Read the full story here

5.15pm on Jan 13, 2022

No decision on Djokovic today: federal source

By Anthony Galloway

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke will not be making a decision tonight on whether to cancel Novak Djokovic’s visa as the saga drags into its seventh day.

A federal source confirmed Mr Hawke is still considering the matter and would not be making any decision tonight.

Earlier, Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed Mr Hawke was still considering whether to cancel the tennis star’s visa.

There was heightened expectation that an announcement would be made on the tennis star’s future in this afternoon’s press conference on national cabinet.

4.53pm on Jan 13, 2022

Today’s official COVID numbers at a glance

Here are today’s COVID-19 case numbers around the country. More than 150,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported. The number includes the results of at-home rapid antigen tests. Fifty-seven people with COVID-19 have died.

NSW has reported a record 92,264 new COVID-19 cases and 22 deaths in the latest 24-hour reporting period after the government mandated the registration of at-home test results.
Victoria has recorded 37,169 new COVID-19 cases and 25 deaths, as isolation requirements relax for critical workers, and new virus restrictions kick in across the state.
Queensland has reported 14,914 new infections, with 556 COVID-19 patients in the state’s hospitals. It has also reported six COVID-19 deaths.
The ACT has recorded 1020 new COVID-19 cases. The figure doesn’t include positive rapid antigen test results.
Western Australia has recorded two new local cases and 14 cases in travellers, taking its active case total to 117.
Tasmania has recorded 1100 new cases, taking the total number of active cases to 7969.
South Australia has detected 3669 new cases and announced two men in their 80s and two women in their 70s with COVID-19 have died.
The Northern Territory has reported 550 new cases of COVID-19, with 214 detected through rapid antigen tests.

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4.33pm on Jan 13, 2022

Hawke considering whether to cancel Djokovic’s visa

By Anthony Galloway

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed that Immigration Minister Alex Hawke is still considering whether to cancel Novak Djokovic’s visa.

There was heightened expectation that an announcement would be made on the tennis star’s future in this afternoon press conference on national cabinet.

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke is still considering whether to cancel Novak Djokovic’s visa.Alex Ellinghausen, AP

But Mr Morrison said there had been no change from yesterday.

“I will refer to Minister Hawke’s most recent statement in that the position hasn’t changed,” he said.

“These are personal ministerial powers able to be exercised by Minister Hawke and I don’t propose to make any further comment at this time.”

4.22pm on Jan 13, 2022

Australian Open draw goes ahead

By Paul Sakkal

The Australian Open draw is about to go ahead at 4.15pm.

Tournament organisers delayed the draw just minutes before 3pm when it was scheduled. Organisers believed an announcement on Novak Djokovic’s visa may have been imminent.