Australia news LIVE: NSW’s Omicron outbreak grows, four suspected cases in Victoria; third day of first Ashes Test continues in Brisbane

• Rachel Clun reports that 5 to 11-year-olds will be able to get vaccinated against COVID-19 from early January after Pfizer’s product received final approval, paving the way for the rollout to this age group to be well under way before school returns next year. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has recommended this age group receive two doses of the Pfizer vaccine eight weeks apart to protect them against the coronavirus, and the federal government says bookings will be available within weeks.

• The country’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, told national cabinet today that health experts are in the early stages of understanding the Omicron variant of COVID-19, as the federal government reiterated it will make decisions on international borders that are consistent with a suppression strategy. National cabinet also noted that Health Minister Greg Hunt has extended the human biosecurity emergency period until February 17 next year. The leaders are due to meet again that month. The extension of the emergency period allows the Commonwealth government to continue to exercise certain powers to prevent and control COVID-19.

• Gladys Berejiklian has ended a week of speculation about her future by confirming she will not run for the federal seat of Warringah “or any other seat for that matter”, Michael Koziol reports. The former NSW premier spoke to Sydney talkback station 2GB this morning and said she would pursue a career in the private sector. “I’m going in a different direction,” she said. Ms Berejiklian is the subject of an Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry into multimillion-dollar grants or promises made by the state government to organisations in Wagga Wagga while she was in a secret relationship with the then local Liberal MP, Daryl Maguire. Ms Berejiklian denies all wrongdoing and the ICAC has yet to release its findings.

• A leading defamation judge in Sydney has backed criticisms by legal experts of the Morrison government’s proposed anti-troll laws and suggested they are a “recipe for disaster”. The federal government released draft laws earlier this month that are said to help ordinary people “unmask” anonymous commenters defaming them online, enabling them to sue those commenters for defamation. The Coalition has described the laws as part of their crackdown on online “trolls”, although defamation law does not cover abusive comments unless they also lower a person’s reputation.
• “The first problem is that if this is aimed at stopping people who [send] anonymous insults... it’s not going to work,” NSW District Court Judge Judith Gibson, a leading defamation jurist, told a Communications and Media Law Association (CAMLA) event in Sydney this week.“Vulgar abuse is not defamatory.” Legal experts have been critical of the proposals, which cover an area of law traditionally dealt with by the states and territories and not the Commonwealth government. Read the full story here.

• Victoria recorded two new cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 overnight, both of which are linked to an international flight. It brings the total number of confirmed cases of the variant in Victoria to three. Marta Pascual Juanola and Roy Ward report that the cases involve two passengers who landed in Melbourne on a flight from Dubai on November 30. One of the passengers had been identified as a suspected Omicron case by authorities on Wednesday. Genomic testing is under way to determine if a third COVID-positive person on the flight is also carrying the Omicron variant. Other travellers who recently arrived in Melbourne on the same flight have been contacted and told to get tested for COVID-19.
• All of the cases of the coronavirus variant detected in Victoria so far have been in returned travellers. On Wednesday an international traveller isolating at a Melbourne quarantine hotel became the first confirmed case of the strain in Victoria. Three suspected cases of the variant in the community that were not linked to overseas travel have either been confirmed as or are likely to be the Delta variant of the virus, the Health Department said in a statement. The state recorded a total of 1206 new cases of COVID-19 today and two deaths.

• NSW Health says COVID-19 transmission in pub settings is contributing to the state’s increase in cases, including outbreaks in three venues across Sydney, as dozens of backpackers isolate in Bondi, Sarah McPhee reports. There were 516 new COVID-19 cases reported on Friday and no deaths. A total of 90,223 tests were conducted in the 24-hour period. The case total is the highest for the state since 580 cases were reported on October 9, which was the weekend before Sydney’s months-long lockdown lifted. There were no new cases of the Omicron variant reported in NSW on Friday. The total remains at 42 cases. Of these, 13 were acquired overseas or on an international flight and 29 were locally acquired. To date, no one with the Omicron variant has been admitted to hospital in the state.

This is Michaela Whitbourn signing off on the blog for today. My colleague Broede Carmody will be back with you early on Monday.

“This low-pressure system will continue to move offshore and as that keeps moving it will mean we’ll have an easing and clearing trend,” Ms Imielska said

“Broadly into the weekend we’ll see much drier conditions across much of the state.”

Read the full story here.

“The Commonwealth continues to welcome Australian citizens, permanent residents and their families, New Zealand citizens, Singaporean citizens and other cohorts of travellers already approved for travel, including seasonal workers and international student pilots.”

National cabinet also noted that Health Minister Greg Hunt has extended the human biosecurity emergency period until February 17 next year. The leaders are due to meet again that month. The extension of the emergency period allows the Commonwealth government to continue to exercise certain powers to prevent and control COVID-19.

An update was also provided on how states and territories are preparing potential surge responses under the national COVID-19 response.

Cabinet also agreed to support the updated Communicable Disease Network of Australia guidelines on health care worker restrictions. The media statement from today’s meeting said the guidelines “will ensure workforce furlough policies reflect the latest advice for a highly vaccinated workforce”.

“The fire just took off. We had bad weather but we had brilliant and amazing efforts on the ground and in the air to deal with the fire as well as can be managed at the time, given the circumstances and challenges they faced.

“I am eternally grateful for the huge effort of all the firefighters and all the personnel involved. At the moment they had it roughly contained to the national park. We aren’t aware of any property that has been lost or damaged. We aren’t aware of any injuries at this stage.

“Given the fierceness of the fire and given the weather conditions we have had for the previous two days, that is quite an amazing thing. Almost a miracle.”

Mr Whitby said Margaret River residents were concerned after fires hit the region a decade ago.

“It was 10 years ago that Margaret ever suffered some devastating fires, so I know there is an anxiety and concern in the community and rightly so because the community know how devastating fire can here be,” Mr Whitby said.

“But hopefully, we have this fire, we are on the road to getting it contained. The danger is not over. The danger is not over and it may be weeks, in fact, before the last flame is extinguished before you can rest easy.

“But the change of weather and the amazing effort volunteers has gone on top of the situation in terms of turning the tide.

“We’re looking at a far better position today than yesterday.”