Poll reveals more than a quarter of UK hospital nurses have seen patients cared for in ‘inappropriate’ settings
Patients are being treated in the wrong places in UK hospitals, such as corridors and waiting areas, leaving them at risk of poor care, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) warns today.
Hospitals are so overstretched and understaffed that patients are ending up being looked after in clinically “inappropriate” settings, where personnel may not have the right skills.
Continue reading...Approval of shot widens options against the virus as CDC will meet next week to decide whether to sign off on vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday authorized Novavax’s Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use in people 18 years of age or older, widening vaccine options in the US against the virus as the fourth vaccine to get approval by the agency.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will meet next week to decide whether to sign off on the vaccine and determine who should get the shot before pharmacies and other healthcare providers can start administering them. Novavax is also expected to finish its quality testing “in the next few weeks” before the doses are provided.
Continue reading...Rising case numbers and death rates prompt fears that two-thirds of providers could be grappling with outbreaks in next six weeks
Almost 100 aged care residents are dying from Covid each week with active cases linked to the more than 700 current outbreaks in facilities reaching near-record levels for 2022, data shows.
An analysis of government data on Covid in aged care shows a worrying surge in the weekly number of deaths, number of active outbreaks, and cases among residents.
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Continue reading...Australian Council of Social Services says end of supports amid new wave of virus leaves insecure workers more exposed
Lilly Hallett has become accustomed to regular lentil meals amid recent spiralling costs of living as a way to curb everyday expenses.
But the Melbourne-based casual call centre employee is also now trying to stash away part of her income in case she becomes reinfected with Covid, amid a surge in cases driven by the highly infectious Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants.
Continue reading...‘Damning milestone’ means measures such as mask-wearing and better sick pay needed again, doctors and bereaved families say
Doctors and people bereaved by Covid have described the 200,000th death from the virus in the UK as a “tragic milestone” and called for the return of infection control measures, including mask wearing and better sick pay amid concern about rising cases and new variants.
Prof Philip Banfield, council chair of the British Medical Association, said: “This terrible loss of life must serve as an important reminder that Covid-19 has not gone away and remains a serious threat to public health.”
Continue reading...Processing of unwanted items has become increasing problem for retailers since Covid online boom
The fast fashion website Boohoo has become the latest online retailer to start charging shoppers to return items.
Boohoo customers will now have to pay £1.99 when they send unwanted goods back, and the cost will be deducted from the amount they are refunded.
Continue reading...Cockroach alert at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane
As the Maroons and Blues prepare to face off in the State of Origin final decider tonight, another showdown is occurring between the SES and the “influx” of cockroaches in the stadium where the final will take place.
To be very clear, my government has not made this decision, this is a decision that was inherited from the former government and state governments.
I’d encourage concession cardholders to go and get the 10 free rapid antigen tests that they’re eligible for by the end of this month. There’s still a lot of time to go and do that. Of course, on top of that, there are free rapid antigen tests available in aged care facilities, across a range of areas as well in addition to that.
Continue reading...Mark Butler is urging Australians to get their booster jabs as case numbers rise and pandemic supports are scaled back
The Australian health minister, Mark Butler, has warned “millions” of people will be infected by Covid in coming weeks, urging Australians to take boosters even as the government winds down other Covid supports.
On Wednesday, Anthony Albanese, doubled down on the federal government’s decision not to extend free rapid antigen tests for concession card holders beyond 31 July.
Continue reading...White House says BA.5 is responsible for majority of new infections in the US amid reports of plan for second booster shots for adults
Joe Biden’s administration has announced a new strategy to tackle the highly contagious BA.5 coronavirus subvariant amid reports that the government was developing a plan to make second booster shots available to all US adults.
In a fact sheet published on Tuesday the White House said BA.5, a subvariant of the Omicron coronavirus variant, is already responsible for the majority of new Covid-19 cases in the US.
Continue reading...Payments extended to eight more local government areas and sped up to prioritise victims over auditing; free Covid rapid tests for concession card holders to end this month. This blog is now closed
A new campaign has launched today to tackle racism by the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Chin Tan, the race discrimination commissioner, was on ABC Radio this morning discussing the campaign he says calls on all Australians to reflect on the causes and impacts of racism, not only on its victims but Australia’s collective wellbeing as a society.
Continue reading...Elective surgeries are again at risk of being delayed with predictions hospitalisations may exceed past Covid waves
The Victorian government has ignored health advice calling for mask mandates in schools, early childhood and retail settings amid a warning that hospitalisations during the current wave of Covid and flu infections may exceed earlier peaks.
As Covid reinfection rates rise nationwide, Victoria on Tuesday joined Queensland in encouraging residents to don masks without requiring them to do so.
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Continue reading...Boost in demand in June on back of jubilee celebrations fails to prevent third successive fall
Britain’s retailers are suffering the sharpest drop in spending since the depths of the coronavirus pandemic as hard-pressed consumers tighten their belts as a result of soaring inflation.
The monthly health check from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reported a third successive drop in activity as the cost of living crisis continued to bite.
Continue reading...Doctors accuse government of ‘mixed messages’ as hospitalisations rise, saying they should be open to more preventive measures
Doctors have urged Australia’s political leaders not to rule out reinstating mask mandates and social distancing if chief health officers back these measures to combat rising hospitalisations from the winter Omicron wave.
The president of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Omar Khorshid, said it was important politicians did not block such measures if that was recommended by their medical experts.
Continue reading...Disapproval of PM’s performance ticks up while 60% think masks should return to stop Covid’s winter spread
A majority of voters favour a return to mask wearing to help slow transmission during the Omicron third wave, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll, which also finds Anthony Albanese’s initial honeymoon with voters has moderated.
The latest survey of 1,097 respondents finds more than half of Guardian Essential respondents (56%) continued to approve of the prime minister’s performance (down three points since June), while 24% disapproved (up six points in a month).
Continue reading...Almost all European countries have reported surge in infections, driven mainly by Omicron variant BA.5
European regulators have recommended a second Covid-19 booster jab for everyone over 60 as well as all medically vulnerable people across Europe amid mounting infections and hospitalisations.
The EU’s health and medicine agencies had previously recommended a second booster for people over the age of 80 in April. But with concerns growing over the rise in cases in Europe, driven mainly by the Omicron variant BA.5, the advice has been widened effective immediately.
Continue reading...Police questioning three people after man’s body found near Brisbane train station
Three people are being questioned about the suspicious death of a man whose body was found near a train station in inner Brisbane, AAP reports.
Continue reading...More than 30 closed for a week – with extension thought likely – and dozens of city zones locked down in gambling hub
Macau has shut all its casinos for the first time in more than two years as authorities struggle to contain the worst coronavirus outbreak yet in the world’s biggest gambling hub.
The city’s 30-plus casinos, along with other non-essential businesses, will shut for one week from Monday and people have been ordered to stay at home. Police would monitor flows of people outside, the government said, and stringent punishments would be imposed for those who disobeyed.
Continue reading...Staff absences adding to workforce problems caused by Brexit, pension disputes and exhaustion, says expert
Hospitals are battling staff absences, exhaustion, persistent backlogs and problems discharging patients in the wake of the latest wave of Covid, the Guardian has found, as infection levels continue to rise across the UK.
According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, an estimated 2.71 million people in the UK had Covid in the last week of June, an 18% rise on the week before. In England alone, the most recent figures suggest about one in 25 people had a Covid infection.
Continue reading...On pandemic leave payments – which are coming to an end – Speers asks Butler about the decision by the government not to extend them. Butler responds that ending these payments was necessary because of the budget.
This emergency payment was designed by the former government and the state governments. It’s a co-owned scheme that came to end an on 30 June. We are one trillion in debt and at some point emergency payments of this type have to be wound up as we move to a new phase. That’s the decision that former governments took and it’s a decision we have decided to follow as well.
There’s state rules to isolate. These emergency payments have to be wound up at some point.
I accept whenever you end an emergency payment of this type it’s going to impact people. I deeply regret that. But at some point these emergency payments simply have to be wound up. We don’t have the financial capacity to keep making them forever. They were intended to wind up on 30 June, that was the decision taken by the former government, and all state governments who are co-signatories to that scheme and it’s a decision we had to continue.
Butler: In this phase of the pandemic mask mandates and things like that are best done in a targeted way. There’s mask mandates in aged care, in health facilities, on public transport, in airplanes. And if you’re in a crowded indoor space with no ability to socially distance you should give strong consideration to wearing a mask.
Speers: Again... You only need to go to the movies or a shopping centre or the footy to see how ineffectual a recommendation is. So many people not wearing masks. Wasn’t one of the lessons of this pandemic, mask mandates for a fixed period, work?
Continue reading...From Monday, access will also be expanded to over 50s and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 30 with two or more risk factors
All Australians over 70 with Covid will be eligible to take antivirals from Monday, after the health minister, Mark Butler, expanded access to the treatments.
Butler revealed that access will also be expanded to people aged over 50 with two or more risk factors for severe disease and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged over 30 with two or more risk factors.
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