As it happened: Victoria records 1571 new local COVID-19 cases, 13 deaths as IBAC inquiry resumes; NSW records 444 new cases, four deaths as state prepares to ease more restrictions

Good evening and thanks for reading our live coverage.

I’m signing off the blog now and will be back on deck bright and early tomorrow morning.

If you’re just joining us, here’s everything you need to know:

• Australia’s medical regulator has invited Pfizer to apply to have its vaccine authorised for use in five to 11-year-olds. Pfizer’s Comirnaty vaccine is provisionally approved for all Australians aged 12 and over. Within about four weeks of being eligible to get vaccinated, 54.5 per cent of 12 to 15-year-olds have had at least one dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna coronavirus vaccine. The Therapeutic Goods Administration granted Pfizer a provisional determination on Tuesday which allows the company to apply to change the provisional approval of the vaccine to include children aged five to 11.
• NSW has recorded 444 new, locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and four more people have died after contracting the virus. There are 716 people in the state’s hospitals with coronavirus, 150 of whom are in intensive care. Just over 75 per cent of people aged 16 and over are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and 90.8 per cent have received one dose of a vaccine.
• NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has officially announced his state’s $3 billion green hydrogen strategy. Green hydrogen is a kind of renewable energy source that involves splitting water molecules to extract energy. It has the backing of people like mining magnate Andrew Forrest. Mr Perrottet says while the government’s package is expensive, it is “nation-leading, world-leading” and will “lead to big opportunities” for his state in terms of future jobs.
• Victoria has recorded 1571 new cases of coronavirus in the community and 13 deaths, the state’s highest death toll all year. Today’s case numbers are up from yesterday’s total of 1466 cases. There are 706 coronavirus patients in Victorian hospitals. Of those, 146 are in intensive care and 92 are on a ventilator. As of yesterday, 87.1 per cent of Victorians aged 16 and over had received one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and 60.9 per cent two doses.
• The Mitchell Shire – which sits north of Melbourne and includes towns such as Wallan, Broadford and Seymour – will exit lockdown from 11.59pm tonight. The third day of Victoria’s anti-corruption hearings have also wrapped-up. Workers at Melbourne’s Anzac Station site have tested positive to COVID-19 and Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says there will be “hundreds of deaths” in the coming months as the state opens back up.
• The ACT has recorded 51 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19, at least 22 of whom were infectious in the community. Thirteen of those cases were in quarantine during their entire infectious period. There are now 16 people in hospital with coronavirus, eight of whom are in intensive care. Five people require ventilation. Canberra’s lockdown is due to end this Friday.
• Queensland reported no new local cases of COVID-19 today. It comes as local pharmacists prepare to vaccinate children against COVID-19 within their own schools. The first school to host pharmacists is in Mareeba, near Cairns in the state’s north. Meanwhile, people are now able to travel more freely between south-east Queensland and northern NSW thanks to the reintroduction of the border bubble.
• WA has recorded no new cases of COVID-19. It comes as the High Court rejected an attempt by mining magnate Clive Palmer to scrap legislation that shielded the state from a $28 billion compensation bill. Premier Mark McGowan says his government “did the right thing in stopping Clive Palmer” and protecting the state budget. And two Melbourne Demons fans have pleaded guilty over their WA grand final trip.
• In Tasmania, there was one new coronavirus case detected in a traveller arriving from NSW via Melbourne. Authorities say the man was placed in Hobart’s hotel quarantine system after arrival and, after a welfare check early Tuesday afternoon, was found not to be in his room. He was found at an address in Hobart’s northern suburbs around 4.45pm yesterday, according to Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein. The 31-year-old returned a positive coronavirus test overnight and will be issued with two fines totalling just over $3000.

Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says we can expect hundreds of deaths from COVID-19 across the state after Greater Melbourne’s lockdown ends and the city and regions are reunited.

Here’s what he told ABC Radio Melbourne earlier today:

The Doherty modelling, the Burnet modelling do tell us there will be hundreds of deaths over months to come.

The reality is our seasonal flu year-on-year causes an estimated 3000 excess deaths in Australia.

So that’s what we live with every year with flu. So we need to minimise to the fullest extent possible the deaths we can.

But we’ll do that through very, very high vaccination coverage. And hopefully the most minimal public health restrictions and measures that we can have in place.

Workers at Melbourne’s Anzac Station site have tested positive to COVID-19.

It is not clear how many essential workers have tested positive. However, an email sent to stakeholders on Wednesday afternoon – seen by this masthead – advises that deep cleaning has been conducted at the future underground train station.

“We are requiring all team members to undertake a COVID-19 test and return a negative result before returning to work,” the email said.

“We will advise you when construction works are scheduled to recommence.”

Anzac Station, named for Melbourne’s nearby Shrine of Remembrance, is being built along St Kilda Road just south of the CBD.

It is part of the Melbourne Metro Rail Project (also known as the Metro Tunnel), which involves the construction of several new, underground train stations and twin rail tunnels under the city.

The University of NSW and University of Technology Sydney are among institutions that will make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for students to return to campus from this week.

UTS said people visiting the campus over the next few weeks, staff including contractors and students could attend campus “provided they have proof of vaccination and comply with COVID-safe requirements at all times”.

The majority of classes for the spring teaching session, which ends on October 29, would continue to be held online. But study spaces in most buildings will be open for fully vaccinated students from October 18 onwards.

From December 1 until February 18, 2022 all fully vaccinated staff, students and visitors would be welcomed back on campus. The university said those unable to show proof of vaccination could provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test in the previous two days.

UNSW says that from this week only students who are fully vaccinated or who have a medical exemption will be allowed on campus and they must show evidence of their vaccination status.

Read more about how NSW universities are preparing for the return of face-to-face learning here.

WA Premier Mark McGowan has just finished addressing the media.

We’ll have the playback version with you shortly.