Category Archives: Coronavirus

Jim Chalmers defends delay in reinstating Covid leave payments as cases rise

Posted on by

The $750 payment for those who need to isolate due to Covid has been extended through September, following pressure on the government

Reinstating Covid-19 isolation payments was a necessary move in the wake of rising cases despite criticism the government was slow in doing so, according to the treasurer, Jim Chalmers.

With infections continuing to increase, a decision was made on Saturday to restore the leave pay measure until the end of September.

Continue reading...

AMA welcomes Albanese’s decision to extend Covid-19 pandemic leave payments after national cabinet meets

Posted on by

Prime minister Anthony Albanese says support will continue until the end of September amid winter Covid wave set to peak in August

The Australian Medical Association has welcomed the federal government’s backflip on emergency Covid payments, and says they should say in place as long as necessary.

“They should never have been removed,” president Omar Khorshid said.

Continue reading...

Australia live updates: PM to meet with state and territory leaders at emergency national cabinet meeting as Covid hospitalisations soar

Posted on by

Australia’s chief medical officer will give a briefing to state and territory leaders on Saturday and the pandemic leave payment is expected to be extended. Follow live

There were 11,082 new cases in the last reporting period, and 66 people are in intensive care.

First home buyers blowing their budgets

Underquoting is where a property is listed at a price lower than what it’s worth to bait buyers.

It’s illegal but it does happen, particularly in the case of auctions, where underquoted prices can attract more buyers and lead to a bidding war.

Continue reading...

‘Not just another wave’: Australia’s Covid hospitalisations reach record levels in several states

Posted on by

Experts warn of worse to come, with most states likely several weeks away from peak hospitalisation rates

Hospitals across the country are “bursting at the seams” as the number of people being admitted with Covid-19 reaches record levels in several states.

Western Australia recorded its highest number of Covid hospitalisations to date on Thursday, with Queensland also expected to surpass its January peak in coming days.

Continue reading...

Burberry sales fall 35% in China on back of Covid lockdowns

Posted on by

Lola handbag range and signature trenchcoat give luxury fashion retailer boost elsewhere

Burberry has reported sales growth of only 1% in its latest financial quarter because of the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns in China, while sales were boosted elsewhere by its Lola handbag range and signature trenchcoat.

The luxury fashion retailer said sales fell 35% in mainland China because of restrictions and store closures to contain the latest outbreak of the coronavirus, while sales grew 16% across the rest of the world in the 13 weeks to 2 July.

Continue reading...

Australia news live: nation records 66 Covid deaths as push for Albanese to continue pandemic leave payments and free RATs grows

Posted on by

NSW has recorded 12,228 new cases and 14 deaths in the past 24 hours.

There are 2,027 people in hospital and of those, 60 are in ICU.

Continue reading...

Albanese to restore Covid leave payment as emergency national cabinet meeting called

Posted on by

Australia’s chief medical officer will give a briefing to state and territory leaders on Saturday as government backflips on pandemic support

Get our free news app, morning email briefing and daily news podcast

Anthony Albanese will propose that Canberra and the states extend the pandemic leave payment during a snap national cabinet briefing that has been expedited to Saturday.

The government has spent the past week signalling the existing $750 payment would not be extended over the winter for budgetary reasons, but that decision has been reversed after mounting pressure from backbenchers, premiers, and health experts.

Continue reading...

Covid-19 Australia data tracker: coronavirus cases today, deaths, hospitalisations and vaccination

Posted on by

Guardian Australia brings together all the latest on daily new Covid-19 cases, as well as stats, charts and live state by state data from NSW, Victoria, Queensland, SA, WA, Tasmania, ACT and NT. We bring together the latest numbers on the vaccine rollout and fourth dose booster vaccination rates.

Due to the difference in reporting times between states, territories and the federal government, it can be difficult to get a current picture of the pandemic in Australia. Here we have brought together data on cases, deaths, hospitalisations and vaccinations.

Continue reading...

China’s economic growth slumps sharply after Covid lockdowns

Posted on by

Shutdown of cities takes its toll, while property market remains in crisis and global outlook darkens

China’s economic growth has slowed sharply in the second quarter of the year, official data showed on Friday, highlighting the colossal toll from widespread Covid lockdowns and casting doubt over whether its pre-ordained growth target can be met.

Output contracted by 2.6% between April and June compared with the previous quarter, the statistics bureau said, prompting many economists to revise their predictions for the world’s second biggest economy.

Continue reading...

Labor backbenchers call for pandemic supports to continue as PM announces snap national cabinet meeting

Posted on by

Exclusive: Federal Labor MPs join NSW Labor leader Chris Minns in calling for Albanese government to rethink decision on Covid policies

Labor backbenchers are calling on the government to restore Covid pandemic leave payments, saying the measure is needed for people struggling with the cost of living to help slow the spread of the virus.

It comes as the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has agreed to hold a snap national cabinet meeting on Monday morning with state and territory leaders, after Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk requested an update on the health advice and Covid situation from the chief medical officer.

Continue reading...

Nation records 78 Covid deaths – as it happened

Posted on by

The International Monetary Fund could downgrade its expectations for global economic growth this month.

Its head Kristalina Georgieva has hinted as much, saying the war in Ukraine, higher than expected inflation and the Covid pandemic are to blame.

As G20 ministers and central bank governors gather in Bali this week, they face a global economic outlook that has darkened significantly.

Recent indicators imply a weak second quarter – and we will be projecting a further downgrade to global growth for both 2022 and 2023 in our World Economic Outlook Update later this month.

Continue reading...

Hospital patients being treated in corridors and waiting areas, says RCN

Posted on by

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...

FDA authorizes protein-based Novavax Covid vaccine for adults

Posted on by

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...

Covid deaths in aged care reach almost 100 a week as active cases surge across Australia

Posted on by

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.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...

End to Covid leave payment and RAT subsidy ‘disincentives’ for casuals to be tested

Posted on by

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...

Calls for return of Covid controls after UK death toll passes 200,000

Posted on by

‘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...

Boohoo starts charging shoppers £1.99 to return items

Posted on by

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...

More than 700 aged care Covid outbreaks – as it happened

Posted on by

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...

‘Millions’ of Australians will be infected with Covid in coming weeks, health minister says

Posted on by

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...

Biden administration announces new strategy to tackle Covid subvariant

Posted on by

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...