Good evening and thank you for reading our live coverage of the day’s events. If you are just joining us now, here’s what you need to know:
- Victoria has extended its lockdown until at least September 23, with some small changes. It has also shifted its public health strategy from a focus on bringing COVID-19 cases in the community as close as possible to zero to a focus on buying time with restrictions while vaccination rates ramp up. This brings the state broadly into line with the approach in NSW. It was “no longer a realistic strategy” to drive cases down to close to zero, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said on Wednesday. “They are going to go up. What we must do is suppress case numbers sufficient to buy us time to get people vaccinated.” In happier news, regional Victoria should expect an announcement about new freedoms in coming days.
- NSW recorded 1116 new cases of COVID-19 in the community and four deaths. A woman in her 50s from south-west Sydney died at Liverpool Hospital, a woman in her 60s from western Sydney died at Concord Hospital, a woman in her 70s from south-west Sydney died at Liverpool Hospital and a woman in her 80s from south-west Sydney died at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. All four women were unvaccinated and had underlying health conditions.
- The key NSW suburbs where people are being encouraged to come forward for testing are: Guildford, Georges Hall, Merrylands, Auburn, Punchbowl, Bankstown, Lakemba, Yagoona and South Granville.
- NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said it was “impossible” to eliminate the highly transmissible Delta strain of the virus. “NSW has proved successful until this point in time of getting rid of other strains... but Delta is a game-changer and every state in Australia, sooner or later, is going to have to live with Delta. She added that “I feel that Victoria is perhaps turning the corner in how they are dealing with COVID in terms of accepting what the Delta strains is like, and what it means for citizens”.
- Fragments of the virus have been detected in the sewage in the following areas in NSW, prompting a call for residents to get tested if they are displaying symptoms: Temora, Thredbo, Merimbula, Port Macquarie, Dunbogan, Bonny Hills, Warren, Molong, Tamworth and Gunnedah.
- Victoria recorded 120 new, locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and zero in hotel quarantine. This is the highest daily figure the state has recorded this year. Two women, aged in their 60s and 40s, died at home after contracting the virus. Their deaths were first reported on Tuesday. Both women were unvaccinated.
- While the coronavirus numbers are going up in Victoria, there will be a modest easing of some restrictions: playgrounds will reopen from Friday for children under 12 and in-home care will be allowed if both parents are authorised workers. An expanded 10-kilometre travel limit, a three-hour exercise limit, outdoor personal training and private real estate inspections will kick in when 70 per cent of Victorians aged over 16 have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
- Queensland health authorities have issued a public health alert for COVID-19 exposure sites in Brisbane’s south and Goondiwindi after a NSW truck driver tested positive to the virus. The driver entered the state on Wednesday, August 25, and crossed back over the border the following day, stopping at two truck stops during the trip, a Queensland Health spokesperson said.
- The ACT recorded 23 new COVID-19 cases overnight, 11 of which were in quarantine during the entire infectious period. “We have 13 people now in hospital with COVID, four in intensive care. None of the people in hospital with the virus at the moment are fully vaccinated,” ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said.
- On Thursday evening Canberrans will get more freedoms, including allowing up to five people to gather for non-organised recreation. Mr Barr said that meant things such as running, walking, cycling and picnics were allowed but not more formal recreation such as golf or tennis or bootcamps. Outside of approved activities, Mr Barr says, “keep as far away from other people as you possibly can all of the time”.
- South Australia’s Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier says five interstate truck drivers who have tested positive to COVID-19 have passed through the state in the past six days. It was “four discrete episodes”, Professor Spurrier said, because two of the truck drivers were travelling together. Professor Spurrier described the cases as a “wake-up call” and said about 240 people were in isolation in South Australia as a result. “This is going to go up,” she said.
- New Zealand reported 75 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, all but one of which was in Auckland. One case in Wellington was a close contact already in isolation. Auckland will remain in lockdown for another fortnight while the rest of the country stepped down one level in restrictions at 11.59pm on Tuesday.
This is Michaela Whitbourn signing off on the blog for the evening. Broede Carmody will be back with you tomorrow morning.