8 OCT QLD
NSW - QLD BORDER OPENING CLOCK LIKELY TO RESET IN 48 HRS
Queensland gives NSW just 48-hours to find source of new infections
oronavirus cases in NSW may delay border opening with Queensland, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk gives 24-hour deadline to trace origins
YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE A DEVELOPER WANTING TO TAKE OVER PUBLIC LAND.
NSW - QLD BORDER OPENING CLOCK LIKELY TO RESET IN 48 HRS
Queensland gives NSW just 48-hours to find source of new infections
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/brisbane/queensland-gives-nsw-just-48-hours-to-find-source-of-new-infections/ar-BB19NQJ3?ocid=msedgdhpQueensland has given New South Wales just 48 hours to track down the source of three mystery cases, or the state will refuse to reopen its border on November 1.
It's not good news for anyone hoping to visit Queensland in early November.
It comes as NSW Health has now added two new locations to its alert list, after being visited by people infected with COVID-19.
That includes diners at Ripples in Milsons Point where all diners are being urged to isolate immediately, considered close contacts of the infectious person.
Annastacia Palaszczuk has warned NSW residents could be locked out of the state for even longer if contact tracers don't find the source of the new infections.
The current benchmark is 28-days without community transmission, and the earliest that could now be is November 4.
Last week the government released a road map to the reopening with NSW, flagging November 1.
But the state's chief health officer and premier have consistently said they will reassess the situation at the end of every month, meaning it could be even later when NSW residents are allowed into the Sunshine State.
If Queensland reaches no cases of community transmission today, it'll be their own 28th day benchmark.
oronavirus cases in NSW may delay border opening with Queensland, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk gives 24-hour deadline to trace origins
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/petition-launched-by-opponents-of-private-concrete-jetty-for-ralphs-bay/ar-BB19NDbd?ocid=msedgdhpQueensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she has not ruled out pushing back border restrictions with NSW past the November 1 opening.
She said New South Wales health authorities have 24 hours left to trace the origins of possible community transmission cases, which were revealed yesterday.
Ms Palaszczuk said she is on "high alert" about the current cases in New South Wales and will continue to monitor the situation.
"We are not ruling out anything at the moment," she said.
"There's another 24 hours for them to look at where those cases came from.
"Looking forward to what the Premier of NSW has got to say.
"We hope NSW gets on top of those cases very quickly."
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she only heard about the deadline to contact trace in media reports yesterday.
"I don't know where they got that from, does it matter how long it takes our experts to find the links?" she said.
"Sometimes it might take them a couple of hours, sometimes it might take them a couple of days, I don't want to put pressure on them unnecessarily, they should just be able to do their jobs."
However, Ms Palaszczuk said the original 48-hour deadline was agreed to by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, which is made up of all state and territory Chief Health Officers.
Queensland recorded another day with no new coronavirus infections — the sixth day in a row — after more than 6,700 cases.
quote]https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/brisbane/coronavirus-cases-in-nsw-may-delay-border-opening-with-queensland-premier-annastacia-palaszczuk-gives-24-hour-deadline-to-trace-origins/ar-BB19O6d0?ocid=msedgdhp
AGED CARE
Aged care staff found using soiled masks, not given face shields during COVID-19 inspection
Practices at the TriCare aged care home in Toowoomba have been criticised in report by a government agency inspection.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/mystery-woman-left-at-a-hospital-won-t-tell-police-her-name/ar-BB19O5lP?ocid=msedgdhpStaff at an aged care home in southern Queensland wore soiled cloth masks and were not given face shields, the federal aged care watchdog has found.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission inspected the TriCare Toowoomba Aged Care Residence in East Toowoomba in August.
It found TriCare's infection control program was ineffective, and plans to manage a potential COVID-19 outbreak had not been implemented.
During the inspection, the commission found there was no supply of face shields at the facility,
It also found that staff had been given cloth masks but were not given consistent information about when the masks should be washed or worn.
"Soiled masks were observed to be worn by staff, and masks were worn under staff members' chins or pulled down to speak to consumers," the commission said.
The ABC understands the masks used had been made from second-hand sheets and required staff to insert a piece of gauze in the front as a means of protection.
The commission also found gloves were being used inappropriately, including staff not changing gloves after removing rubbish.
Lack of social distancing
TriCare was also criticised for its pre-entry processes. The commission found visitors were required to perform their own temperature checks.
"There [were] no directions as to how to use the equipment or cleaning instructions," it said.
The commission also found the aged care home's foyer was crowded when it carried out their inspections and staff were not practising social distancing.
Tricare, in its response to the commission, said several improvements had been made to its service since the August inspection.
It said additional training had been implemented for staff, including the donning and doffing of personal protective equipment (PPE).
The commission said it acknowledged TriCare's actions to ensure it had an effective COVID-19 outbreak management plan.
It said the actions would require time to be implemented and evaluated for their effectiveness.
TriCare has been contacted for comment.
ELDERLY WOMAN DUMPED BY SOMEONE
Mystery woman left at a hospital won't tell police her name
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/mystery-woman-left-at-a-hospital-won-t-tell-police-her-name/ar-BB19O5lP?ocid=msedgdhpPolice have officially closed the case of a mystery woman who was left at a hospital in the Sunshine Coast.
The woman, believed to be in her 80s, was the subject of a nationwide police appeal as she was unable to tell doctors at Nambour Hospital who she was, due to a 'challenging health situation'.
It has now been revealed that the woman will stay in the care of Queensland Health after she managed to communicate to doctors that she was aware of who she was but did not want to share her identity with the authorities.
Cops have dropped the case after a month-long search for the woman's relatives.
'The woman recently began speaking with police and has clearly indicated she is aware of her identity,' Queensland Police said in a statement on Sunday.
Police said she did not wish to share her identity with them 'for personal reasons'.
The woman was initially 'challenging' to identify because she was non-verbal and in need of medical attention when she arrived at hospital.
Police said public assistance was now no longer required and asked that 'the public and the media respect the woman’s privacy as per her request.'
'As no criminality has been detected, police have ceased involvement in this matter and the woman will be left in the care of Queensland Health,' the statement said.
Investigators issued a number of alerts in a bid to reunite the woman with her family after she was found, saying the situation was unique and almost like a reverse missing person's case.
She started talking with people after she was transferred to Sunshine Coast University Hospital and her health improved.
Police Inspector Matt Robertson says the woman had been in a vulnerable situation and 'very frail', requiring medical treatment.
The man who found the woman took her to hospital and told staff he didn't know her and had no reason to think he was doing anything except helping her.
'He came in, he stated exactly what occurred and at this stage the evidence suggests what he said occurred,' Inspector Robertson said, according to the ABC.
'He does believe he might have seen her in the area before.'
They do think there may be a story to tell however and the missing piece was a 'puzzle'.
Police also released an image of the woman's ring in the hopes it would help someone identity her.
'Our primary investigation is just to locate who this lady is to reunite her with her family,' Inspector Robertson said.
'It's not something where we've been able to go charging in very quickly with and we're taking it one step at a time and exploring those avenues as she's capable.'
8 OCT WA
WA records two new virus cases
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/wa-records-two-new-virus-cases/ar-BB19OaPT?ocid=msedgdhpTwo new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Western Australia, a man and a woman in their thirties who both travelled to Perth from overseas.
WA's Department of Health said in a statement on Thursday that both were in hotel quarantine.
The state has now recorded 690 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 11 active cases being monitored and 670 people recovered from the virus.
There have been 439,993 COVID-19 tests performed in WA to date.
8 OCT SA
SA-Victorian border communities call to relax continuous COVID-19 testing as health complaints emerge
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/sa-victorian-border-communities-call-to-relax-continuous-covid-19-testing-as-health-complaints-emerge/ar-BB19NSDN?ocid=msedgdhpThere is mounting pressure to relax seven-day COVID-19 testing requirements imposed on cross-border communities as reports emerge of health problems and growing anxiety over nasal swabs.
Those living on the South Australia-Victoria border are nearly three months into continuous testing, which involves a swab deep into the nasal cavity and throat.
They want the testing requirement relaxed, saying the burden of testing is out of proportion to the risk of COVID-19 because of the low number of cases being recorded in regional Victoria.
The SA Government announced on Tuesday it would increase the border travel bubble from 40 to 70 kilometres and consider reducing testing to fortnightly.
Local MPs, whose electorates include cross-border residents, have confirmed the tests are one of the most common issues raised.
Social media forums for the communities feature posts in which people complain of headaches, bloody noses, and anxiety because of the tests.
"I'm over the headaches, nasal blockages, nasal inflammation, and the stress of knowing its nearly test time again," one person wrote.
'Panic and anxiety' over testing
Facebook group Cross Border Call Out has urged its followers to report any reactions to their doctor and advise SA Health.
A department spokesperson said while the tests could be uncomfortable "we have had no reports of headaches, regular nosebleeds, earaches, or other health issues occurring following regular COVID-19 testing".
But social media users describe them as traumatic.
"I was starting to feel like a child scared of my vaccinations," posted one Facebook user.
"Days before my test date I'm panicking and suffer anxiety and nausea. I though I was the only one. It's so stressful especially when you get bad tests done.
"I push the tests out if I can by staying home for as many days as I possible from day six," posted another user.
"I honestly cannot believe we live in a world where they can force people to go through this when we are not sick, have not been a close contact, and we don't even have any COVID cases for hundreds of kilometres."
Cross-border residents say the discomfort from the test can vary depending on the swab used and the skill and experience of the person conducting the test.
Border electorates raise issue with MPs
Local MPs offices have been contacted frequently about the issue of testing.
Member for Mildura Ali Cupper said South Australia's inclusion of the new 70km bubble zone would allow Murrayville residents in Victoria to travel to Loxton in SA, even though it was 130km by road.
But she said the testing requirements needed to be addressed.
"The timeline that is being applied here is excruciatingly slow," Ms Cupper said.
"It's an incremental step. And while 70km is better than 40km, for our cross-border towns the thing that is really driving them mad is this requirement for a COVID test every seven days.
"It's painful. It's annoying. Every seven days having to have a test just to go and get fuel."
'Safer than anyone, including border police'
Murrayville resident and Pinnaroo business owner Synon Peers said while he welcomed the extension of the border bubble to 70km, the weekly testing requirement needed to be relaxed.
"Some of us have had a dozen or more consecutive negative COVID tests," he said.
"The police on the border are unbelievable, and the army, but they're not having COVID tests. So essentially we're safer than anyone as far as being a risk to South Australia goes."
Mr Peers said he had heard of health impacts and would welcome the testing moving to fortnightly.
"Having it every single week is not the most pleasant thing, there are a few people who have had some complications," he said.
"Half the amount of COVID testing would be great."
8 OCT NT
NT to remove Sydney COVID-19 hotspot status as NSW outbreak grows to eight
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/nt-to-remove-sydney-covid-19-hotspot-status-as-nsw-outbreak-grows-to-eight/ar-BB19OHoi?ocid=msedgdhpThe Northern Territory will open its borders to arrivals from Greater Sydney on Friday as the extent of an infection outbreak in the city remains unknown.
The Northern Territory Government first announced its intention to lift the hotspot declaration on Greater Sydney last month, saying arrivals from Sydney could freely enter the NT if there was a continued "downward trend of cases".
But an outbreak of coronavirus across Western Sydney, with NSW authorities confirming eight locally acquired infections in the past 36 hours, compelled the NT Government to seek further health advice before deciding to lift the hotspot declaration.
This afternoon, NT Deputy Chief Health Officer Charles Pain said the decision to lift the hotspot was "considered carefully" and was safe because the Sydney outbreak is "controlled and contained".
Dr Pain's comments came hours after NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she expected to see more cases identified from the Western Sydney clusters in the coming days.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has also not ruled out extending border restrictions with NSW in the wake of the outbreak.
On Thursday, Ms Palaszczuk said NSW health authorities had 24 hours to trace the origins of the cases before potentially delaying a November 1 opening between the states.
But Dr Pain said a meeting with the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee — the national conference of chief health officers — indicated the outbreak was a minimal threat to the Northern Territory.
"The reason for this is that we have had a very thorough review of these cases … the NSW Chief Health Officer provided us with details of those cases and we are confident that they are all connected and therefore they constitute a single outbreak," Dr Pain said.
"This means that there's no established community transmission by the definition that we have and we're confident that the outbreak itself is controlled and contained.
"We're very confident that the testing regime and the contact tracing in NSW is of a very high standard, and we are therefore happy with our plan to open [Friday]."
When the hotspot declaration lifts at 12:01am Friday, arrivals from Greater Sydney will no longer be required to enter a two-week period at their own expense in a Government-approved facility.
Dr Pain conceded opening the Northern Territory up to Sydney arrivals equated to a greater health risk, but that the risk was "acceptable".
"We are gradually opening up. We are opening up to more risk, of course we are," he said.
"But we are opening up to a very low risk and what we think is an acceptable risk.
"We cannot guarantee [coronavirus] will not get into the Northern Territory … we can keep ourselves and our borders up for months and months and months but we know what the consequences of that are. We know what the consequences of lockdowns are.
"We are going to have to adapt."
When asked for the CLP's stance on lifting the Greater Sydney hotspot, Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said the decision "should be guided by the expert health advice".
Dr Pain strongly endorsed the use of face masks by Territorians as the jurisdiction's risk profile increases.
"I'd like to see people starting to wear masks. I'd be delighted to see people starting to wear them. I think that would be a signal to everyone that we are taking those behaviours seriously," he said.
Dr Pain also warned against lax physical distancing he has seen creep into the Northern Territory, which could undermine public health.
"Anyone who walks around the streets, particularly in enclosed spaces, in supermarkets … people are often not maintaining 1.5 [metres]," he said.
"There are times where you see in public that people clearly don't know each other and aren't maintaining distance."
8 OCT TAS
Petition launched by opponents of private concrete jetty for Ralphs Bay
Locals are concerned a proposal by a prominent Hobart developer to build a 60-metre long concrete jetty on Crown land will destroy the natural beauty of a southern Tasmanian foreshore and set the wrong precedent for the use of public land.
Sultan Holdings has plans to build the 1.5-metre high jetty and shed on the foreshore of Ralphs Bay, at Sandford.
The proposal also includes a 3.2-metre high storage shed at the entry to the jetty.
The jetty would sit directly across from existing property further inland also owned by developer Sultan Holdings, which developed University of Tasmania student housing, Moonah Central Shopping Centre and the hotel at the Hobart International Airport.
Community concern growing
A petition with nearly 700 signatures calls for residents to voice their concerns over the plans, and a group of residents called the "Save Ralphs Bay Again Group" has also mobilised.
The group's spokesman, Peter Osborne, said the development sends the wrong message.
"It becomes possible for people to use Crown land for their own private purposes and as that happens, more and more public land is lost," Mr Osborne said.
"Crown land is for public purposes. This is a private jetty … so there will be no public access," he said.
He also said the size of the structure would take away from the area's natural beauty.
Local Robyn Moore grew up in the area and nearby Dorans Road is named after her grandmother, Mary Doran.
"I think she'd be horrified to know one individual could come in and build a private jetty on Crown land," Ms Moore said.
"It takes away from the Tassie rural lifestyle … if we say yes to something like this then it enables everybody to be able to put a private jetty if they want on Crown land," she said.
The group is also worried about the environmental impact of the development.
In the development approval, it is stated the proposed jetty "will not involve significant disturbance of the marine or terrestrial environment".
An attached assessment by an environmental consultant acknowledged the area is known for handfish sightings, but said none were found during the assessment.
"Targeted searches for seastars and handfish were conducted but did not identify any threatened protected species within the study area," it said.
"However the area does provide potentially suitable habitat for both and as such minor mitigation approaches are recommended."
It recommends construction does not happen during handfish breeding season.
Battle over Ralphs Bay not the first
More than 10 years ago a plan for a much larger canal-style development in Ralphs Bay conservation area was scrapped after community backlash.
Greens leader Cassy O'Connor led the opponents of the development.
She said the latest issue over the jetty raises similar concerns.
"If Mr Sultan wants to build a jetty, let him buy a piece of private land and put in a development approval for this on his own land rather than trying to take something away from locals," Ms O'Connor said.
City of Clarence Mayor, Doug Chipman, said Council will consider the proposal.
"I can't comment on the application at this stage whatsoever. As a member of the planning authority I need to keep my mind open on the matter until Monday night," Mr Chipman said.
YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE A DEVELOPER WANTING TO TAKE OVER PUBLIC LAND.