As it happened: Proposed Victorian pandemic laws to be changed as state records 797 new COVID-19 cases, eight deaths; NSW Police return to Kendall home where William Tyrrell went missing

• Nine new cases of COVID-19 have been detected in Katherine in the Northern Territory, taking the current cluster to 11. “We’re in a desperate race to track this down,” the NT’s Deputy Chief Health Officer, Dr Charles Pain, said today. There had been significant spread of the virus across two households. NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the highly transmissible Delta variant of the virus had close to a 100 per cent infection rate once it made its way into households.
• As Broede Carmody reported this morning, the Greater Katherine and Robinson River communities in the NT are in a snap lockdown. The 72-hour lockdown began last night after two local cases of COVID-19 were discovered. Authorities were concerned the virus may have spread to remote Indigenous communities. Mr Gunner said yesterday the two cases are a fully vaccinated man aged in his 40s and a woman who is a household contact (aged in her 30s). As with lockdowns in other jurisdictions, residents must stay at home unless they need to buy essential goods, access medical treatment, carry out essential work, conduct their one hour of exercise or care for a family member.

• Josh Dye reports that about 1800 residents in Forbes have been ordered to evacuate their homes as floodwaters continue to rise in the NSW Central West. The State Emergency Service issued the evacuation order for about 800 homes in low-lying parts of the town just before midday on Tuesday. “Floodwaters will progressively close roads and access will be cut so do not delay moving,” the SES said. The Lachlan River at Forbes crossed the “moderate” flood level early on Tuesday morning and is continuing to creep higher. The river is expected to reach “major” flood level on Tuesday night before peaking on Wednesday. The Wyangala Dam, upstream of Forbes, is at 103 per cent capacity as water authorities continue to conduct controlled spills of the reservoir.

• NSW recorded 212 new cases of COVID-19 and two deaths, including a partially vaccinated man in his 70s who died after contracting the virus at Mercy Place aged care facility in Albury. Ten people have died as a result of an outbreak linked to that facility. A fully vaccinated man in his 70s also died at Liverpool Hospital. There are 210 coronavirus patients in the state’s hospitals, of whom 32 people are in intensive care. Sixteen people require ventilation. Metropolitan Sydney accounts for 110 of today’s cases and 54 are in the Hunter region.
• On the vaccination front, 91.1 per cent of NSW residents aged 16 and up are fully vaccinated against coronavirus and 94.2 per cent are partially vaccinated. Children and adolescents aged 12-15 are counted separately in NSW: 73.4 per cent are fully vaccinated against the virus and 80.6 per cent have received a first dose.

• Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says the state will move to eased COVID-19 restrictions later this week when the 90 per cent full vaccination target is met for people aged 16 and over.
• Cassandra Morgan reports that Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has condemned the “ridiculous” behaviour of Melbourne protesters opposed to changes to the state’s pandemic laws, after some were filmed chanting around a makeshift gallows on Monday night. “Some of the scenes we saw last night are ridiculous. Of course, we condemn them. They are stupid [and there’s] no place for any kind of behaviour like that in a sensible protest,” Mr Guy said. Earlier today, Premier Daniel Andrews accused the Opposition of “standing with people who are anti-vaxxers, [and] sharing a podium with people who are anti-science, anti-vaccination”.

• Under the proposed laws, the premier and health minister of the day would have the power to make public health orders, not the state’s chief health officer (as is currently the case in Victoria). Some say it brings Victoria in line with other jurisdictions and it is appropriate to give these powers to elected officials who can be held accountable at the ballot box, while others say it gives them too much power. A series of amendments have already been made to the laws to address some of these criticisms, including slashing the timeframe in which the government would have to release the reasons for pandemic decisions.
• Victoria has recorded 797 new cases of COVID-19 and eight deaths, down from yesterday’s total of 860 cases. There are now 394 coronavirus patients in Victorian hospitals, of whom 72 are in intensive care. Forty-four are on a ventilator. Vaccination rates continue to increase: 87 per cent of Victorians aged 12 and up are now fully vaccinated against the virus.

• Felicity Caldwell reports that Queensland has recorded zero new coronavirus cases in the community or in hotel quarantine, as the state welcomed back its first travellers from COVID hotspots since border restrictions were eased.
• From 5pm on Monday, people from interstate coronavirus hotspots were allowed to travel to Queensland as long as they met strict conditions, including being fully vaccinated and receiving a negative test 72 hours before travel. People must fly into the state and quarantine at a home, with no shared common areas and fresh air access to the front door, for 14 days in a location within two hours’ drive of an airport. The border changes came after Queensland hit its 70 per cent fully vaccinated milestone almost a week ahead of schedule, but people will not be allowed into the state without a stint in quarantine until the state hits 80 per cent, or on December 17, whichever comes sooner.

• The ACT has recorded 12 new cases of COVID-19 and four people are in hospital with the virus.One of those four people is in intensive care and is on a ventilator. Vaccination rates are the highest in the country: 96.5 per cent of people aged 12 and up have received both jabs.

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

“People have got to keep that decorum but at the same time that doesn’t mean we have to agree.”

Mr Davis said the Andrews government had “botched” its pandemic response and renewed calls for the premier to release the documents behind the government’s health orders.

He refused to compare the powers the legislation would give the Victorian government with existing powers in other jurisdictions like NSW, saying he was concerned about Victorian issues.

“The Opposition thinks that this legislation is a massive overreach. Even now it’s a significant overreach,” he said. “We think there are problems. We are not making up that there are problems.”

“COVID is here and this is serious. It is moving quickly. NT mob, don’t be afraid and don’t be shame. Get tested and get vaccinated. Stay strong Katherine and Robinson River.”

Earlier today, she shared a “personal message” to her sister, who she says was the case announced in Robinson River yesterday.

Ms McCarthy said messages on social media that had discouraged people, particularly First Nations people, from getting vaccinated were “completely disgraceful”.“It doesn’t help, it never has helped,” she said.

As Broede Carmody reported this morning, the Greater Katherine and Robinson River communities in the Northern Territory are in a snap lockdown.

The 72-hour lockdown began last night after two local cases of COVID-19 were discovered. Authorities are concerned the virus may have spread to remote Indigenous communities.

Mr Gunner said yesterday the two cases are a fully vaccinated man aged in his 40s and a woman who is a household contact (aged in her 30s).

As with lockdowns in other jurisdictions, residents must stay at home unless they need to buy essential goods, access medical treatment, carry out essential work, conduct their one hour of exercise or care for a family member.

Victorians opposing the legislation have been protesting at the steps of Parliament House since Saturday, when a crowd of 10,000 people marched down the streets of the CBD.

On Monday night, a crowd of about a hundred people gathered around wooden gallows, calling for physical violence against Mr Andrews.

Liberal MP Bernie Finn could be seen mingling with protesters about 1pm, as members of parliament readied to debate the bill in the upper house.

In a social media post, Mr Finn, who also addressed demonstrators during the protest on Saturday, shared a selfie of himself in front of the crowd which he described as “a couple of thousand of my closest friends”.

On Saturday, Mr Finn told rally attendees the bill had to be defeated.

“This bill, it’s so evil. It’s so wrong,” he said. “Despot Dan wants to become an emperor. Enough is enough.”

Member for Northern Metropolitan Region Craig Ondarchie also shared images of himself talking to demonstrators on his Twitter account this afternoon.

“Out thanking these wonderful Victorians outside their house, the people’s house, who have had a gutful of Daniel Andrews controlling their lives, their happiness, their freedom, ” Mr Ondarchie wrote.

Shadow treasurer David Davis also addressed protesters during a rally on November 9, where he accused the Andrews government of being power-hungry.

UPDATE at 5.57pm: Mr Davis told ABC Radio Melbourne this afternoon that he did not regret addressing protesters during a rally on November 9 but he condemned the use of gallows and death threats against Mr Andrews during several protests since Saturday.

“That is not the Australian way, it’s not the Victorian way, demonstrations should be peaceful and respectful,” Mr Davies said.

“I did make it very clear that people had to focus on voting [in the next state election] in November next year. I did say to people that they should ring radio stations and write letters to the editor.”