Need to know: the new COVID-19 restrictions around Australia

Update (3.06pm AEST): Western Australia recorded one new community case of COVID-19, South Australia has also introduced new COVID-19 restrictions and the lockdown in Darwin has been extended until Friday - read more below.

With an outbreak of COVID-19 in Sydney growing rapidly over the weekend and new cases of the highly infectious Delta variant of the virus jumping state borders new restrictions are now in force nationally.

A state of lockdown has been extended for the entirety of Sydney, Darwin has also gone into lockdown, and state borders across the country are closed in response to the numerous outbreaks.

Here's a summary of the restrictions nationally after Australia's COVID-19 situation deteriorated over the weekend.

New South Wales

The Bondi cluster of COVID-19 grew to 124 locally acquired cases today after the entirety of Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Shellharbour and Wollongong went into lockdown on Saturday.

As such, everyone in those areas must now stay at home unless it is for one of four essential reasons:

• Shopping for food or other essential goods and services
• Medical care or compassionate needs
• Exercise outdoors in groups of 10 or fewer
• Essential work or education where you cannot work or study from home

Today the state recorded 18 new cases of community transmission up to 8pm last night - with all but one of the infections connected to existing cases.

About a third of the cases were in isolation for the entire time, and Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the new infections are likely a reflection of what may have occurred in the previous week.

"Whilst the numbers today are less than the numbers yesterday, we have to be prepared for the numbers to bounce around, and we also have to be prepared for the numbers to go up considerably," the Premier said.

Northern Territory

UPDATE (3.06pm AEST): The lockdown in Darwin has been extended for another 72 hours and will remain in place until 1pm on Friday 2 July.

The capital city of the Northern Territory has today woken up to lockdown settings after five COVID-19 cases linked to a central Australian mine were discovered over the weekend.

Darwin and its surrounding areas are now in a snap lockdown which commenced at 1pm on Sunday after 900 workers left a mine northwest of Alice Springs where a Victorian man had earlier tested positive.

About 400 fly-in, fly-out workers travelled in recent days to Brisbane and 250 flew to Perth, with 244 remaining in the NT.

The Darwin lockdown includes the closure of all libraries, swimming pools and council-related community events and activities.

The Australian Government chief medical officer has now declared Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast and Wollongong COVID-19 hotspots for the purposes of Commonwealth support.

The COVID-19 Disaster Payment for the new LGAs will become available on 4 July 2021 for eligible people in these areas. This payment is for people who reside or work in a Commonwealth declared hotspot and can't attend work as a result of state imposed health restrictions lasting greater than one week.

Eligible people will receive $500 if they've lost 20 hours or more of work, and $325 if they've lost less than 20 hours of work. They must not have liquid assets of more than $10,000 or be in receipt of other payments.

The original seven LGAs that were declared on 23 June 2021, City of Sydney, Waverley, Randwick, Canada Bay, Inner West, Bayside, Woollahra will have their COVID-19 Disaster Payments available from the 1st July 2021.

Victoria

New border restrictions are in place in Victoria due to the worsening COVID-19 situation around the country.

Darwin has been designated a red zone under the state's travel permit system, meaning non-Victorian residents are not allowed to enter the state.

Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour are also red zones for the purpose of interstate travel into VIC.

The following areas are now orange zones under VIC's travel permit system, meaning arrivals must self-quarantine and remain isolated until a negative test result is received:

• The ACT
• All of regional NSW (not including communities in the border bubble)
• Greater Brisbane
• The Perth and Peel regions

Queensland

New COVID-19 restrictions will come into force in much of Queensland from 1am tomorrow after the state recorded two new locally acquired cases today.

One of the cases is linked to the Portuguese restaurant outbreak and has been in isolation while infectious.

The other is a female miner from the Sunshine Coast and is confirmed to be infected with the Delta strain.

Health authorities are still working on tracing and testing the other miners from the site.

"We are rapidly testing all 170 so far," said QLD chief health officer Jeanette Young.

"Essentially, we don't know where this virus might next pop up."

As such, from 1am on 29 June a mask wearing mandate and other restrictions will come into force for the following QLD local government areas (LGAs):

• Noosa
• Sunshine Coast
• Ipswich
• Logan
• Redlands
• Morton
• Brisbane
• Gold Coast
• Scenic Rim
• Lockyer Valley
• Somerset

Venues will return to the one person per four square metre rule, dancing will be banned except for at weddings, eating and drinking must be done while seated, and Queenslanders must remember to check in at venues.

The new settings will be in place for two weeks.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has asked Queenslanders to refrain from travelling into NSW, flagging border restrictions could come into force if the situation worsens.

Anyone who has been to Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong areas since June 21 should isolate wherever they are for a period of two weeks since they left. This applies to those who have arrived in Queensland.

Western Australia

After Western Australia recorded one new community case of COVID-19 yesterday, linked to New South Wales, and one new case today, fresh restrictions for the Perth and Peel regions came into force for a minimum of three days.

The new restrictions are as follows:

• Mandatory mask wearing indoors, on public transport, and outdoors where physical distancing is not possible. Primary school students and those who are exempt are not required to wear masks;
• Public events that cannot be restricted to 150 people will be cancelled or played without spectators today including the Chicken and Beer Festival and West Coast Eagles vs Western Bulldogs AFL match at Optus Stadium - the match will proceed but without spectators;
• 30-person limit in all homes for private gatherings;
• Hospitality, entertainment venues (including casino and nightclubs), retail, beauty/hairdressers, recreation centres (including gyms, pilates, yoga, dance and swimming pools) and places of worship can remain open but must comply with the two square metre rule, with a maximum of 150 patrons;
• Community sport is permitted;
• Weddings and funerals can also proceed but will be limited to a maximum of 150 attendees;
• Hospitals will have a maximum of four personal visitors permitted per patient per day - masks will be mandatory for staff and visitors; and
• Anyone who enters a regional area from the Perth-Peel region is required to wear a mask as per requirements in Perth-Peel, and travel should be minimised. Travel to remote Aboriginal communities will be restricted.

In addition, the state has upgraded its border controls, with the NT, QLD and the ACT joining Victoria on the 'low risk' setting, meaning all arrivals must complete 14 days of quarantine on arrival.

New South Wales remains at medium risk - with travel not allowed without an exemption, as well as those exempt travellers needing to self-quarantine for 14 days and be tested on arrival and on day 11.

For now, South Australia and Tasmania are the only jurisdictions that remain at the 'very low risk' setting.

Australian Capital Territory

With the COVID-19 situation escalating in NSW, the Australian Capital Territory has made the wearing of masks mandatory when out in the community.

This new requirement means when people are in many indoor public places or using public transport, they must wear a face mask.

ACT residents returning to the ACT from the City of Darwin, City of Palmerston and Litchfield LGAs in the NT, including the Darwin rural area, will be subject to a stay-at-home order in the ACT. The same goes for those who have been to Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Shellharbour and Wollongong.

South Australia

South Australia has now closed its borders to most of the country except for Tasmania and Victoria.

As such, travellers from WA, the NT, QLD, NSW and the ACT are not allowed to enter SA.

Travellers from Victoria are mostly permitted except for those who have been at a COVID-19 Tier 1 or Tier 2 exposure site.

Other travellers from VIC must receive a COVID-19 test on arrival and self-quarantine until a negative result is received.

People travelling from TAS to SA are not subject to any restrictions upon entering the state.

Update (2.03pm AEST): SA has introduced new COVID-19 restrictions today despite recording zero new locally acquired cases of COVID-19.

New preventative COVID-19 resrtrictions will come into force in SA from midnight tonight (28 June) including:

• Masks must be worn in high-risk settings such as aged care, hospitals etc. and are recommended on public transport
• Only 150 people can attend private gatherings at homes or in halls
• Licensed venues will be back to one person per two square metres and you must be seated when indoors.

The restrictions are expected to remain in place for at least one week.

Tasmania

Tasmania has shut its borders to travellers from the entirety of Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, and Wollongong as well as Darwin in response to the outbreaks of COVID-19 in those areas.

Updated at 3.06pm AEST on 28 June 2021.

QLD Deputy Premier calls for tightening of international arrival exemptions

Until a purpose-built quarantine facility for returning Australian residents and citizens is built in Queensland, the state's Deputy Premier has called on the Federal Government to be stricter with exemptions for arrivals.

The comments were made by Deputy Premier Steven Miles at today's press conference regarding the COVID-19 situation in Queensland, where it was revealed that two more locally acquired cases of the coronavirus have been detected.

The state also announced new COVID-19 restrictions today that will come into effect at 1am tonight, including mandatory mask wearing, reduced capacities in venues, and the banning of dancing.

RELATED: Need to know: the new COVID-19 restrictions around Australia

"I think the Federal Government needs to be stricter with the exemptions they're providing to people to come here," Miles said.

"Hotel quarantine of international travellers is our single greatest source of COVID into our country and into our communities."

The Deputy Premier acknowledged that those returning to Australia are permanent residents and citizens, but stressed the current settings are putting lives at risk.

"Until the Commonwealth Government can address those concerns and certainly while we deal with this delicate situation, the Premier has indicated we will seek to reduce the number of arrivals into Queensland - that will relieve pressure on hotel quarantine," Miles said.

"But we wouldn't be in this situation, we wouldn't be reducing our number of international arrivals, if we had purpose-built facilities which could be up and running."

As such, Miles has urged the Commonwealth to support the Queensland Government's proposal to build a dedicated quarantine facility in Wellcamp which could house up to 1,000 people at a time.

Updated at 12.34pm AEST on 28 June 2021.

Sydney lockdown a $500 million hit to retail sector, says ARA

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has warned the week-long lockdown in Sydney will lead to at least half a billion dollars in lost retail trade, taking business and consumer confidence backwards.

The lockdown was announced today by the NSW Government in response to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19, but the ARA says the restrictions are a massive blow for retailers already struggling from the ongoing impacts of the pandemic.

"The NSW Government has done an admirable job keeping the state open throughout the pandemic and the stay-at-home orders are a measured response to the new COVID cases that continue to emerge," says ARA CEO Paul Zahra.

"We recognise the importance of containing the virus, but we can't ignore the fact these further restrictions come at great cost, particularly for small businesses in the CBD.

"The Sydney CBD was experiencing a slow and staggered recovery before this latest outbreak, due to large volumes of people working from home and the lack of tourists and international students. The stay-at-home orders for the next week will compound their pain."

In addition, Zahra is concerned many small businesses may struggle during the period without any government assistance.

"With a safety-net like JobKeeper no longer around, and much less stimulus in the economy, we hold concerns for those small businesses who were already at breaking point before this latest outbreak," says Zahra.

"Retailers and their teams, as always, will work cooperatively with government to comply with restrictions and help contain the spread of the virus.

"We ask customers within essential retail services to comply with instore protocols respectfully to help minimise the occurrence of instore disputes or aggression for these hard-working frontline staff."

Image by: Mw12310 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Stay-at-home order issued for Sydney local government areas

UPDATE (28 JUNE): Restrictions in NSW have since changed with the entirety of Greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Shellharbour and Wollongong now under lockdown. Read more here.

Those who live or work in four Sydney local government areas (LGAs) have been issued stay-at-home orders today to slow the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 in New South Wales.

In addition, existing COVID-19 restrictions for the rest of the city will remain in place for an additional two days to midnight Friday 2 July.

The new orders come as NSW reports 22 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases today, and confirmation from the state's chief health officer that all cases bar one reported up to 8pm yesterday are now connected to known infections.

The stay-at-home orders applies to the four LGAs of the City of Sydney, Randwick, Woollahra and Waverley.

As such, those who live or work in those areas must stay at home for at least a week except for the following four reasons:

• For work or to get educated unless working from home or receiving education from home is possible
• To exercise outside
• To provide care to a relative
• Or to buy essential goods or services

"We believe this is a proportionate response to the risk," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

"We are on top of the cases at the moment bar that one, but this is really to make sure that we can prevent further spread."

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said the stay-at-home order is necessary to prevent further seeding of the virus after state contact tracers determined the infectious link to the Joh Bailey salon in Double Bay.

"Investigations have revealed that a person who was infectious on June 15th and 16th was the source of infection of the Joh Bailey hairdresser in Double Bay," Dr Chant said.

"What we are concerned about is over 900 clients that attended or potentially were in contact may acquire the infection. We have reached out to those individuals and I'm hoping that when we see the cases over the coming days they're all in isolation.

As such, Chant said that over the coming days "we are going to see a large number of cases".

"I've got significant concerns for patrons and staff of the Joh Bailey salon in Double Bay, because we have at least three staff members who were working whilst infectious and with two confirmed cases amongst clients so far," Chant said.

"I expect more cases to be detected over the coming days and I'm urging all clients and staff of Joh Bailey between June 15 and 23 to be tested and maintain quarantine as directed by NSW Health."

Business NSW CEO Daniel Hunter has welcomed the new restrictions.

"The new restrictions are a concerning development, however this is a sensible decision that Business NSW supports based on the excellent track record of managing COVID outbreaks in NSW and the advice from NSW Health," Hunter said.

"If we get on top of this quickly by doing the right thing it is hoped we can avoid extended lockdowns and the devastating knock-on impacts to business."

"Businesses can still operate, but of course there will be some nervousness from customers. It's up to business owners and customers to ensure they do the right thing and comply with restrictions. I encourage business owners and customers to work together to fulfil existing orders and commitments wherever possible."

New Zealand extends travel bubble pause with NSW for 12 more days

A pause on quarantine-free travel from New South Wales to New Zealand has been extended for a further 12 days in response to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Sydney which has grown to 65 cases today.

The decision follows further public health assessment, with the NZ Government taking a cautious approach while investigations into unlinked cases continue.

Anyone who was at a location of interest at the specified times cannot travel to New Zealand within 14 days of the exposure event. This applies to all travellers, no matter what Australian State or Territory they are departing from.

Updated at 11.29am AEST on 25 June 2021.

NSW records 11 new COVID-19 cases as state in "scariest period" yet

With New South Wales recording 11 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 today, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has described the situation as the state's "scariest period" of the pandemic to date.

Of the new cases all but one are linked to known infections, but that does not mean Berejiklian is falling into complacency.

The Premier today was deemed a casual contact of a confirmed infection, forcing her briefly into isolation this morning until she received a negative COVID-19 result.

That came after the NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall tested positive for COVID-19 overnight, prompting a 'stay put' directive for Parliament while Health Minister Brad Hazzard went into isolation too.

"Since the pandemic started this is perhaps the scariest period that New South Wales is going through, and Dr Chant and I are on equal view on that," the Premier said.

"I do want to stress that my level of concern is medium to high across New South Wales."

The one unlinked new locally acquired COVID-19 infection is a hairdresser who works at a Joh Bailey salon in Double Bay.

Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant says the contact tracing team is currently working on identifying how the hairdresser may have become infected.

"We will be doing that backward tracing and calling out any people in the upstream - what we call upstream contact tracing - to flush out any unrecognised chains of transmission," Dr Chant said.

"At the beginning of the day we often start with unlinked cases but as you can see those linkages have been made and by the time we closed off the numbers we were able to report that 17 of those 18 cases were all linked."

With NSW having conducted 48,402 tests yesterday the chief health officer has called on the population to sustain and surpass the high level of testing to quash the outbreak.

"What I'd like to see is for a week those testing number are sustained at those levels, or even surpassed," Dr Chant said.

"So please, it is incredibly important at this time that we flush out any unrecognised chains of transmission."

Updated at 1.01pm AEST on 24 June 2021.

QLD Deputy Premier calls for local staycations as tourism operators hit by border closures

Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles has urged locals to take advantage of recently opened hotel vacancies in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast as border closures force Sydneysiders to cancel their holidays.

The Sunshine State is now shut to travellers from the local government areas (LGAs) of the city of Sydney, Waverley, Woollahra, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West and Randwick, except for Queensland residents who must go into hotel quarantine upon entry.

As Queensland records three new local COVID-19 cases today, all of whom are connected to the initial woman from Portugal, the first flight into the state today had 20 out of 120 passengers sent back to Sydney due to the new restrictions.

"Police have been meeting flights at our airports this morning and turning people around, and so we'd like to send message to anyone in Sydney who was thinking of coming up to Queensland, please don't," Miles told a press conference this morning.

"We have asked the airlines to provide alerts at Sydney Airport."

The ramifications of this tough stance to contain the spread will be acutely felt by Queensland's tourism industry, which was gearing up for a busy period and has also lost some of its traditional Victorian custom due to Melbourne's lockdown.

Queensland has reopened its borders to Victorian travellers, but the announcement may have come too late for some Melburnians to plan that winter escape north.

"We're also urging Queenslanders to take up the opportunity that will come up with some cancelled bookings," Miles said.

"We know that on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts for example 20 to 25 per cent of bookings for the weekend and the early school holidays could well be cancelled, and that is a chance for Queenslanders who'd not yet booked their holidays to please consider the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

"Similarly, the number of people from Sydney who had planned to travel up for State of Origin on Sunday means that our [Brisbane] CBD hotels will be experiencing cancellations - we expect somewhere up to 40 per cent of hotel rooms that were booked this weekend could now become vacant."

He added this was a chance for anyone who might not have had plans to stay overnight after the Origin, or to simply have a great weekend in the Queensland capital.

Gold Coast has "a lot of stock available", marketing efforts ramp up in southern states

Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O'Callaghan says accommodation providers in the city were tracking at above 70 per cent occupancy for the school holiday period, but the declaration of Greater Sydney hotspots has led to cancellations.

"What we know is prior to COVID in 2019 we did see over $110 million being injected by Sydneysiders into the Gold Coast, so they are are a critical part of our economy; they tend to stay longer and spend more, so this will have an impact on our industry," O'Callaghan says.

"But what we are seeing as well is a great take-up from Victoria, so we know that we are able to welcome them back. We are seeing Victorians booking thick and hard at the moment, which is fantastic news.

"But at the end of the day there are still very uncertain times ahead, so we're making the most of the areas that are open, because it is a critical period for our industry."

She says Destination Gold Coast is ramping up its marketing efforts in Victoria, as well as other states such as Tasmania and South Australia.

"Any area that is open to us at the moment, we have marketing initiatives," she says.

"Our message to all potential visitors out there is choose the Gold Coast. This was a $5.9 billion industry that took a $3 billion hit - these school holidays are important not just for business now, but obviously the survival of our industry moving forward.

"We know that the Gold Coast is the most searched destination on so many holiday sites at the moment, so the demand is there."

O'Callaghan has also observed a trend of "Queenslanders backing Queensland".

"We have have the holiday dollars program out at the moment. We had 87,000 registrations for 30,000 vouchers; they're using those vouchers, they're booking in at the moment, and a lot of Queenslanders are reviewing their holidays down south.

"I think that's where the Gold Coast is a great potential. We have a lot of stock available. There are so many experiences whether it's the beaches, the hinterland, the theme parks and great dining, so a lot for families to see and do."

A 'devastating repeat'

Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) chief executive Daniel Gschwind describes the situation as a 'cruel merry-go-round' that is wearing down the resilience of the industry.

"In a devastating repeat of previous holiday lead-in periods, tourism operators are again facing travel restrictions for interstate visitors," he says.

"This time it is residents of Sydney and other part of NSW who will not be able to visit Queensland, or anywhere else for that matter, for at least the next week.

"This takes some of the joy out of the announcement earlier in the week that travel restrictions into Queensland for all of Melbourne will be lifted just in time for the winter school holidays."

Gschwind explains NSW contributes about half of Queensland's annual, interstate visitor revenue, with a share of almost $5 billion.

"Missing out on the boost to the economy that NSW visitors normally bring to Queensland regions is a bitter blow for the operators," he says.

"It yet again draws attention to the fact that we must continue to improve the effectiveness of all our virus-fighting tools at our disposal: tracing, testing, vaccine roll-out, quarantine facilities, health services capacity, as well as appropriate hygiene measures.

"Given that some variant of the COVID virus is likely to be present somewhere in the world for years, governments will have to map a pathway to 'living with it'.

"And living with it must also include the freedom of movement - eventually also internationally. We need a coherent plan with practical steps towards it."

The tourism industry leader is however positive about the Queensland Government's easing of restrictions (see below) for tourism and hospitality operators.

"The new provisions for COVID-safe operations will make it easier for operators to remain viable with increased venue capacities and a reduction in staff requirements for food services (self-serve buffets will be allowed again)," he says.

QLD cluster update

While Sydney is battling with the highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19 that can be spread by the most fleeting of contacts between five and 10 seconds, Queensland's cluster of the relatively less transmissible Alpha variant has increased by three local cases today.

Of the three new cases, one of is the president of the Portuguese Family Centre, while the other two were accompanying the initial case who had travelled from Portugal and have both been in hotel quarantine.

QLD eases restrictions with wider-reaching QR code mandate

Queensland will be easing restrictions acros a wide range of settings as of 1am tomorrow, but the benefits come with a catch - mandatory rules around the Check In QLD app will be extended to the following new sectors:

• Venues that attract large crowds, such as stadiums, convention centres, theme parks, concert venues and cinemas;
• Shopping centres and supermarkets;
• Beauty and personal care service, such as hairdressing, beauty therapy and nail services;
• Indoor events, such as cultural festivals and expos;
• Outdoor events, such as fun runs and fetes;
• Leisure and recreation facilities, such as gyms, health clubs, indoor sports facilities and indoor pools;
• Short-term residential facilities such as hotels, boarding houses and short-term holiday rentals;
• Outdoor recreation, such as caravan parks, camping areas, zoos and aquariums;
• Public-facing government services, such as customer service counters in government buildings, galleries, museums, libraries and community centres such as recreation halls;
• Weddings, funerals and places of worship (only required if indoor);
• Higher education institutions, such as universities, TAFEs and registered training organisations;
• Adult entertainment venues; and
• Hospitals, residential aged care, disability service accommodation (applies to visitors, volunteers and contractors, not staff or patients/residents).

"Many have already recognised how easy and simple the app is," Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said over the weekend.

"It's free, it's easy and it helps us keep Queensland safe."

As of tomorrow indoor venues will be able to have three people per four square metres, including hostels and B&Bs, representing an increase of 50 per cent. There will be no limits on gatherings at the home, in outdoor areas, aged care, disability services or hospitals. Self-service food is also back.

"The decision allowing the return of buffets and smorgasboards will free up staff allowing hotels to open more rooms in time for the school holidays," Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said over the weekend.

Updated at 11:13am AEST on 24 June 2021. 

AstraZeneca vaccine to be phased out of Australian rollout from October

A COVID-19 vaccine developed by UK pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and manufactured in Melbourne by CSL (ASX: CSL) will be progressively phased out of Australia's inoculation program from October.

Demand for the vaccine, which is now only recommended to be taken by Australians aged over 60 due to the risk - albeit still extremely low - of blood clotting in younger recipients, is also likely to drop according to the Federal Department of Health.

In addition, the Commonwealth Government expects additional supplies of Pfizer's mRNA COVID-19 vaccine will come online from September, alongside new supply of the jab developed by Moderna.

"Given the size of the Australian population over 60, it is assumed that demand for AstraZeneca doses will reduce in Horizon 2 [September 2021] and be met by Horizon 3 [October to December 2021]," says the Federal Government in a document called COVID Vaccination Allocation Horizons.

The document envisions three 'Horizons' to be met by the Commonwealth, starting in the July to August period, and ongoing until the end of the year.

'Horizon 1' envisions 2.2-2.6 million AstraZeneca doses to be administered per week from July to August, while 'Horizon 2' will see 880,000 to 1.2 million doses of the jab in arms every week in September.

By October the Government intends AstraZeneca vaccines will only be made available on request of the states. By that time, 1.7-2.3 million Pfizer vaccines and 430,000-615,000 Moderna doses will be administered per week to Australians.

Today, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) granted provisional determination to Moderna in relation to its vaccine, meaning the company is now eligible to apply for provisional registration of the jab in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG).

"Provisional determination is the first step in the process," says the TGA.

"It is anticipated that Moderna will submit an application for provisional registration shortly. Importantly, registration and supply in Australia will only commence should the vaccine be approved as safe and effective by the TGA."

The Australian Government has secured 25 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, including the supply of 10 million doses in 2021 and of 15 million doses of Moderna's updated variant booster vaccine in 2022.

The updated rollout plan comes one week after new advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), recommending Australians aged under 60 to receive the Pfizer vaccine.

The advice came in response to analysis of case rates and demographics for a rare blood clot condition caused by the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

"This remains a very rare but sometimes serious event. We're picking it up much more commonly than other countries because we're looking more fully," Chief Medical Officer Dr Paul Kelly said.

CSL shares were down 1.82 per cent at $288.90 each at 11am AEST.

Updated at 11am AEST on 24 June 2021.

SA, WA set hard borders with NSW as cases mount

Update (4.20pm AEST 23 June): The Northern Territory and the Australian Capial Territory have both imposed new border restrictions this afternoon.

The NT has declared greater metropolitan Sydney, the City of Blue Mountains and the City of Wollongong as hotspots, meaning anyone who has been in those areas must undertake 14 days of mandatory quarantine on arrival in the top end from 6pm today.

In addition, the ACT is introducing a 'stay-at-home' requirement for anyone who arrives in the ACT from 4pm today having left the seven local government areas of City of Sydney, Waverley, Randwick, Canada Bay, Inner West, Bayside and Woollahra.

South Australian and West Australian health officials have now closed their state borders to New South Wales in response to the growing outbreak of the COVID-19 Delta variant in Sydney.

Effective today, both SA and WA have reintroduced hard borders to all travellers from NSW, with exceptions for those conducting essential travel.

The moves follow decisions from Victorian and Queensland health officials to lock out seven Sydney local government areas (LGAs) classified as red zones, including the city of Sydney, Waverley, Woollahra, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West and Randwick. 

Tasmania has followed suit, prohibiting anyone who has visited these 'high-risk' LGAs since 11 June from entry. The ACT is expected to make an announcement on the NSW situation this afternoon.

For SA, the ban applies to all travellers from NSW who have been in that state in the last 14 days.

However, the new rules make an exception for those living within a 100-kilometre buffer zone for cross border communities, as well as South Australians returning home, essential travellers, people moving to the state permanently and those escaping domestic violence.

WA has reintroduced its hard border with NSW, which it now classifies as 'medium risk' amidst the escalating situation.

This means travel from NSW to WA is no longer permitted and applies to those who may have been in NSW and have not subsequently been in a 'very low risk' state or territory for 14 days, including anyone from the ACT who has travelled into NSW during that period.

Exempt travellers (active military personnel, Commonwealth parliamentarians, and more) arriving in WA today must self-quarantine for 14 days, present for a COVID-19 test within 48 hours and another test on day 11 after arrival in WA.

"In light of NSW's growing COVID-19 outbreak, we have reintroduced a hard border with NSW based on the latest health advice," WA Premier Mark McGowan said.

"We've been monitoring the situation closely and have scaled up our border controls as required, to keep our community safe.

"Naturally these immediate changes will cause inconvenience but the hard border is necessary to protect the health of Western Australians."

Updated at 2.38pm AEST on 23 June 2021.

More Victorians to return to entertainment venues and offices as restrictions ease again

After Melbourne entered winter in yet another lockdown for the COVID-hardened city, less than a month later the Victorian capital will soon have offices that are 75 per cent full, 15 people allowed to attend private gatherings, and even theatre productions like Harry Potter and Frozen getting closer to full capacity.

The city's snap lockdown was lifted on 11 June and restrictions were eased further last Friday, but as of midnight tomorrow Melburnians - and indeed all Victorians - will be one step closer to normality, at least by 2021 standards. 

Quarantine-free travel has also reopened with New Zealand just as the trans-Tasman door has been temporarily closed to NSW, while states such as Queensland and Tasmania have also reopened their borders to travelling Victorians.

On the advice of the state's chief health officer, Acting Premier James Merlino has today announced a series of eased restrictions that will be in place for at least two weeks.

"Private visitors to the home will increase from two in Melbourne, and five in regional Victoria to 15 across the entire state - and up to 50 people can gather outside in a public place like a park," Merlino said.

"Masks must still be worn inside. But more people in metropolitan Melbourne can return to offices, with 75 people capacity - or 30 people in a workplace - whichever is greater," he said, in comparison to previous restrictions of 50 per cent capacity or 20 people.

Previous restrictions of up to two visitors to the home in Melbourne and five in regional Victoria will be lifted to 15 across the state, while cultural life is set to improve on several fronts.

"Players, parents and spectators can attend outdoor community sport within the total cap of 1,000 people," Merlino said.

"And live music will have greater numbers in pubs, clubs and other hospitality venues across the state too, but dance floors are still closed for now.

"Theatres will initially open at 50 per cent capacity, with up to 1,000 people. And this weekend crowds can attend public events and outdoor stadiums with a limit of 50 per cent, or up to 25,000 people."

And even bigger numbers may be allowed from 11:59pm on 1 July, subject to epidemiology and the advice of the chief health officer.

"That means 100 per cent capacity at shows like Frozen at Her Majesty's Theatre, and Harry Potter at the Princess Theatre," Merlino said.

"And indoor and outdoor stadiums will be able to increase to 85 per cent capacity so that includes the MCG, Marvel Stadium, and AAMI Park.

"For the next week, we're recommending that those travelling to Victoria's alpine region get tested prior departing metropolitan Melbourne, especially if they're staying overnight.

"And everywhere you go, remember to check in using the Service Victoria QR code, this is the seat belt we need as we open up the state."

Updated 12:37pm AEST on 23 June 2021.

New restrictions for NSW as state records 14 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases

Effective immediately, new COVID-19 restrictions in New South Wales will come into effect to slow the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus in the state as health authorities report 14 new locally acquired infections.

The restrictions, which will be enforced from 4pm today for at least a week, will see household visitor numbers reduced, the one person per four square metre rule return, and a ban on those living or working in metropolitan Sydney from travelling outside of the area.

Of the 14 new cases, one was detected before the 8pm reporting cut-off time yesterday, and 13 came through overnight and will be included formally in tomorrow's numbers.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the imposition of these new restrictions is necessary considering how easily transmissible the variant of COVID-19 circulating in Sydney is.

"Clearly this is an evolving situation we would have preferred not to have occurred, but given what has occurred the New South Wales government will be taking action today to limit the spread of what is a very contagious variant of COVID," says the Premier.

"On this occasion our contact tracing has been better than I've ever seen, but what we haven't seen before is the contagiousness of this variant of the virus.

"It is extremely contagious and the fleeting exchanges, not even physical touching, has meant people have transferred the virus."

The following restrictions will be enforced from 4pm today in the Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Shellharbour regions of NSW:

• No more than five visitors to any household, including children
• Vertical consumption at hospitality venues will be banned all patrons must be seated
• No singing or dancing at any venue, except for weddings which can have 20 people on the dance floor
• Venues must revert to the one person per four square metre rule
• Major outdoor events can only welcome up to 50 per cent of total capacity
• Mask wearing will be more widespread and now must be worn in any indoor setting including workplaces
• Masks must be worn at organised events like outdoor sporting events or concerts
• Gym classes can only have 20 people in attendance and masks must be worn
• Those riding on public transport must be socially distanced
• Those living or working in the following seven local government areas cannot travel beyond metropolitan Sydney unless it is essential travel: the city of Sydney, Waverley, Woollahra, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West and Randwick

"These stringent rules will be in place to make sure we prevent the spread of the virus," says the Premier.

Updated at 11.29am AEST on 23 June 2021.

Victoria and Queensland lock out seven Sydney areas

Seven local government areas (LGAs) in Sydney have been labelled as red zones by both the Victorian and Queensland Governments, meaning non-residents are not permitted to enter the states.

Effective overnight for Victoria and from 1am tomorrow for Queensland, the seven areas classified as red zones include the city of Sydney, Waverley, Woollahra, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West and Randwick.

Queensland had already classified Waverley as a red zone but will add the other suburbs in response to the growing outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant of COVID-19 in Sydney.

"As we know, the Delta variant is much more infectious than other variants and we have serious concerns," QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

"We want everyone to be safe and we wish New South Wales the very best in getting on top of this particular variant, but was you know we're going well here in Queensland and we want to continue to keep Queenslanders safe."

The border restrictions come as Queensland reports one new COVID-19 case in hotel quarantine today - a returned traveller from Zambia, who is infected with the Delta variant.

QLD chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young highlights the rapid spread of the Delta variant worldwide.

"That's the variant we're now seeing in people returning from all parts of the world. So we're not seeing that Delta variant only coming from India now, it's widespread and that's to be expected," says Dr Young.

"When you get a variant that's more transmissible it becomes the dominant variant."

Only Queensland residents who have visited any of the red zones will be permitted to re-enter the state but must quarantine in a hotel at their own expense.

Victorian residents who have been in a red zone can obtain a red zone permit to get back home but will be required to quarantine at home for 14 days.

In addition, the VIC chief health officer has declared the LGA of Wollongong as an orange zone, meaning those wanting to travel down south must acquire an orange zone permit to enter the state.

Orange zone permit holders must isolate on arrival, get tested and stay isolated until a negative result is received.

"The CHO strongly discourages non-essential travel into Victoria from red or orange zones," says the Victorian Department of Health.

The border changes come as Victoria reports no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 today, and one new case acquired overseas currently in hotel quarantine.

Meanwhile, QLD is poised to relax restrictions from 1am on Friday 25 June, increasing density limits in venues and removing limitations on gatherings in homes or outdoor public spaces.

In addition, anyone looking to enter QLD from anywhere in Australia or New Zealand must now complete a border declaration pass before arriving in the state.

Concurrently, New Zealand paused its travel bubble with NSW in response to the recent rise in locally acquired cases connected to the Bondi cluster.

The pause came into effect overnight and will last initially for 72 hours, coinciding with the country's planned reopening of its bubble with Victoria.

The number of cases connected to the Bondi Cluster now total 21 after NSW reported 11 cases yesterday.

Updated at 9.36am AEST on 23 June 2021.

NZ pauses travel bubble with NSW

The recent rise in community cases of COVID-19 from eastern Sydney's 'Bondi cluster' led the New Zealand Government to put the travel bubble with all of NSW on hold last night, starting at 11:59pm NZT last night with an initial 72-hour period.

The move coincided with New Zealand's planned reopening at the same time of the Trans-Tasman travel with Victoria, coming after NSW's total community cases reached 21 in the previous 24 hours to 22 June.

"This decision follows a public health assessment today which determined that while the overall risk to public health in New Zealand currently remains low, there are still several unknowns, including a case that was infectious while in the Sydney community and a primary school age child with no clear link established at present," New Zealand's COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said yesterday.

"The Government is taking a precautionary approach and will review the decision to pause again on Thursday.

"Anyone who has only been in Norfolk Island and not in NSW is still eligible for Quarantine Free Travel."

Anyone in New Zealand who recently visited Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction mall at any time between 12 June and 18 June should contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453, get tested and stay at home until they get a negative test result, or remain isolated if instructed.

"Anyone who was at a location of interest at the specified times also cannot travel to New Zealand within 14 days of the exposure event," Minister Hipkins said.

"This is also a reminder that anyone with symptoms, not just recent travellers, should get tested for COVID-19.

"New Zealand public health officials are regularly reviewing developments in the Australian State and advice will be updated, if and when required."

NSW Health has also announced more COVID-19 exposure sites tonight, while the wearing of masks is now mandatory in public indoor spaces in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour.

More details of public health alerts for venues and flights of concern can be found here and here, including Qantas flight QF163 from Sydney to Wellington on 19 June, Air New Zealand flight NZ247 from Wellington to Sydney on 21 June, Totti's Bondi, the Royal Bondi, Woolworths Spring Farm, Wallabies Thai Restaurant in Mascot, Chanel fragrance and beauty at Westfield Bondi, ANZ 20 Martin Place in the Sydney CBD, Starbucks at Westfield Bondi, and the Mascot Central Shopping Precinct.

NSW Health was also notified yesterday afternoon that fragments of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been detected in the Brooklyn Sewage Treatment Plant and the Lough Park Sewage Network Investigation Site.

This is the second detection in the Brooklyn catchment, which includes 1,000 people from the suburbs of Dangar Island, Cowan, Brooklyn, Mooney Mooney and Cheerio Point.

The Lough Park catchment includes about 21,500 people and takes sewage from the following suburbs: Clovelly, Waverley, Randwick, Centennial Park, Queens Park, Bondi, Bondi Junction, Bellevue Hill, Double Bay, Woollahra.

"NSW Health is asking everyone in these areas to be especially vigilant in monitoring for symptoms, and if they appear get tested and isolate immediately until a negative result is received," the health authority stated.

"Anyone with even the mildest of cold-like symptoms is urged to immediately come forward for testing and isolate until a negative result is received."

Originally published at 8:10pm AEST on 22 June 2021, updated at 10am AEST on 23 June.

NSW reports 10 new locally acquired COVID cases as exposure site list grows

New South Wales has reported 10 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the total connected to the Bondi cluster to 21.

It comes as the list of exposure sites in Sydney continues to grow, with a Chemist Warehouse and an ANZ branch in the city's CBD now included as venues of concern.

In addition, the state government is extending the mandatory mask wearing provisions for another week and for the entirety of Sydney, meaning anyone in the city must wear a mask on public transport and in indoor settings until 12.01am next Thursday 1 July.

Of the 10 new cases, three were reported in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday, while seven additional cases were discovered after that cut-off time. Those seven will be included formally in tomorrow's numbers.

No new overseas-acquired cases were recorded in the same period, bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 5,465.

Of the three infections reported to 8pm last night two are close contacts of previously reported cases and have been in isolation.

The third is a woman in her 20s from Sydney's eastern suburbs and is linked to the Bondi cluster. Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant says the woman was probably exposed to the virus through fleeting contact at Bondi Junction where she works. 

As such, NSW Health is now asking anyone who was in Westfield Bondi Junction (including the car park) at any time between 12 June and 18 June to get tested for COVID-19.

Of the seven notified to NSW Health since 8pm yesterday, six are household contacts of previous cases who have been in isolation, and one is a child who attends a primary school in the eastern suburbs of the state's capital.

The student attends St Charles' Catholic Primary School Waverley, but Dr Chant says authorities do not have any preliminary information for a source of the child's exposure.

"The school is working with health officials to develop a plan for the children to be discharged home to their parents," says Dr Chant.

"We also want to provide advice and a mechanism to get testing because we want to find out how this child was exposed because cases where we don't understand the acquisition means we've missed cases."

Venues of concern are being identified as investigations continue, and the list of exposure sites is being regularly updated here.

Updated at 11.28am AEST on 22 June 2021.

New community case for Brisbane, QLD will open doors to all of Victoria

A gentleman in his 60s who attended a Portuguese restaurant in Brisbane's southwest on Saturday night is the latest community-transmitted COVID-19 case for Queensland, as the state gears up to open its borders to anyone from Victoria at 1am this Friday.

The latest case attended the Brisbane Portuguese Family Centre in Ellen Grove at the same time as a woman who was unknowingly positive to the virus, having completed 14 days of quarantine that same day but her test result was not revealed until later.

She had also been to the Cotton On at the Brisbane Airport DFO and the lobby of the Park Regis Hotel at North Quay on Saturday afternoon, as well as the CBD around the Queen Street Mall. However, because she has the alpha variant - previously known as the UK strain - her walk in the open air is not being treated as a serious transmission risk. 

Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young confirmed the 36 people who attended the restaurant while the COVID-positive individual was present are now all in home quarantine and will be assessed and tested over the coming fortnight. 

Health authorities are now in the process of confirming whether the man in his 60s was out and about in the community on the Sunday morning.

More details have also been revealed about how the transmission of COVID-19 came about for the woman who had travelled from Portugal on an Emirates flight, most likely during her stay in the quarantine hotel in Hamilton due to the genomic match with another positive case from Mongolia.

Dr Young - who in November will become Queensland's new Governor - explained a staff member had escorted one of the positive cases from Mongolia from the room to the ambulance so they could be transported to the hospital. Both individuals had been fully vaccinated.

"Then the staf member who was fully vaccinated...went up to a higher level in the building and swabbed the lady who came from Portugal, and the lady from Portugal has ended up with exactly the same virus as the gentleman from Mongolia," Dr Young said.

"So we are thinking that we really need to do further investigation that through a fomite transmission process that staff member has transferred the virus from the gentleman up to that lady from Portugal.

"This is very, very preliminary and we do need to look further into it before we confirm that that is what has occurred."

Fomite transmission refers to indirect transmission via contact of a susceptible host with a contaminated object or surface.

In more positive news, the chief health officer explained as Melbourne had "got on top of their outbreak", Queensland would be opening to all of Victoria including Greater Melbourne on 25 June at 1am.

"But there have been some more exposure venues in New South Wales," she added, noting there had also been an exposure site update in Canberra as well over night.

"So people really need to look before they travel anywhere in New South Wales that there might be an exposure venue and should reconsider if they really need to travel."

Sydney COVID cluster grows, Queensland's latest case details revealed

UPDATE: 11.45am AEST 21 June 2021: NSW Health has since been notified of two new locally acquired cases overnight, bringing the latest cluster to 11 cases. The two new cases will be included in tomorrow's numbers.

A cluster of locally acquired COVID-19 infections in Sydney has grown to 11 cases over the weekend while Queensland is on alert after a confirmed case was active in the community following two weeks of hotel quarantine.

NSW Health formally reported two new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 yesterday, plus two more confirmed infections that were discovered after 8pm on 19 June and will be included in today's numbers.

Of the locally acquired cases, one is a man in his 30s who lives in Sydney and attended Westfield Bondi Junction and spent time in Wollongong, and the second is a household contact of the man.

The two cases which were notified to NSW Health after 8pm on Saturday 19 June are both close contacts of previously reported cases and have been in isolation.

As such, NSW Health has upgraded advice for anyone who was in Westfield Bondi Junction (including the car park) on June 12 and June 13. Now, anyone who was in that location at any stage on those days must get tested for COVID-19.

NSW Health has also expanded the list of venues of concern to include a number of stores at the Birkenhead Point Brand Outlet in Drummoyne and a fitness centre in Castle Hill. The total list of venues with public health alerts can be found here.

Mandatory mask wearing requirements in Greater Sydney have also been extended to Wollongong, and those in Sydney must now wear a mask indoors in retail settings, entertainment facilities, places of worship and residential aged care facilities.

Movement of latest QLD case disclosed

Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeanette Young today explained the movements of a COVID-19 case who was in the community whilst infectious after completing two weeks of hotel quarantine.

The case, who arrived in Australia on an Emirates flight from Portugal, tested positive for COVID-19 on day 14 of quarantine but had already left the facility before the test result came through.

In that period of time the case went shopping at the DFO next to Brisbane Airport for 30 minutes and specifically visited the Cotton On store on 19 June.

After that she went into the Brisbane CBD for about an hour from 5pm, before visiting the Brisbane Portuguese Family Centre in the southwestern suburbs of Brisbane from 7pm.

Dr Young says she is not concerned about the time the infected person spent in the community as she has the Alpha variant of COVID-19 (previously known as the UK variant), rather than the more infectious Delta variant.

"The good thing out of all of this though is that we know that the lady who came from Portugal has the B117, or the Alpha variant," says Dr Young.

"It is contagious, but it is not as contagious as the Delta variant that we're not seeing circulate in parts of Sydney.

Dr Young confirmed the latest case must have been infected either in hotel quarantine or on the way from the airport, as the individual they caught COVID-19 from was not on the same flight into Brisbane.

Updated at 9.55am AEST on 21 June 2021.

Premier puts Sydney's eastern suburbs on "very high alert" with new mask guidance

Update (1:32pm AEST): In response to the unfolding situation in eastern Sydney, the Queensland Government has declared the local government area (LGA) of Waverley as a hotspot, coming into effect from 1am tomorrow. Anyone who has been in the area within the last 14 days will not be allowed into Queensland, unless they are approved for an exemption in which case they will need to go into hotel quarantine. Also from 1am tomorrow, the Sunshine State will require online forms to be filled prior to entry.

People in Greater Sydney will be required to wear masks on public transport for at least the next five days as the state reports one new locally acquired case of COVID-19 today.

In addition, New South Wales health authorities are strongly recommending masks to be worn in indoor venues like cinemas and shopping centres, but the direction is not mandatory.

Unlike in previous outbreaks, the state government is considering Greater Sydney to be a literal definition that excludes the Central Coast, Illawarra and Wollongong from the mandate.

The latest case was detected by NSW Health after 8pm last night and is a man in his 50s living in the Bondi area.

The man attended Myer in Bondi Junction Westfield and could have contracted the virus from "very fleeting contact", according to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

"For this reason we want everyone in the eastern suburbs to remain on very high alert," the Premier said.

"Our strong preference is that you do not engage in any activity unless you absolutely have to, especially in those eastern suburbs communities, especially in proximity to the venues that have already been identified," she said.

All of the man's household contacts have tested negative to COVID-19 and are in isolation.

It comes as NSW Health added a number of locations to its list of venues of concern including a Harris Farm in Leichhardt and a Lorna Jane in Zetland.

Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed is a close contact and must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result:

• The Twisted Olive, Redfern on Sunday 13 June from 12.20-1.30pm
• Lorna Jane, East Village Shopping Centre, Zetland on Monday 14 June from 11am-1pm

If you were at the following venues at the time listed, you must immediately call NSW Health on 1800 943 553, get tested and self-isolate until you receive information from NSW Health:

• Northmead Bowling Club, Northmead on Sunday 13 June from 3.30-10pm
• Adora Handmade Chocolates, Newtown on Sunday 13 June from 2-3.30pm
• Harris Farm, Leichhardt on Tuesday 15 June from 9.50-10.05am
• The Alkalizer, Campbelltown on Tuesday 15 June from 9-10am

Anyone who has attended any of the following venues at the times listed is a casual contact and must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received:

• East Village Shopping Centre, Zetland on Monday 14 June from 11am-1pm
• The Health Emporium, Bondi on Tuesday 15 June from 12.15-12.45pm
• Greenwood Grocer, North Sydney on Tuesday 15 June from 5-5.20pm

"[NSW] Health is currently going through all of their venues - they may deem a casual contact to become a close contact, so please make sure that if you've attended any of those venues that you look at the [NSW] Health website consistently," Berejiklian said.

"If [NSW] Health updates the venue from a casual contact to a close contact you'll immediately isolate for 14 days."

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant has also confirmed genome sequencing found one of yesterday's announced cases from the Belle Cafe in Vaucluse was an exact match to the initial case for the latest outbreak.

"Now that's expected, but this indicates that the initial case was highly infectious as transmission must have occurred through fleeting exposure, noting that the woman who caught the infection at the cafe was actually seated outside and there was no known contact with the initial case," Dr Chant said.

"Obviously we can't rule out that there was some crossover when they were ordering or other things, but again we're just highlighting that we have observed these transmissions in settings where we would normally see outdoor dining as a lower risk setting, and we would normally see shopping centres as a lower risk setting where you're unlikely to have contact.

Updated at 11.22am AEST on 18 June 2021.

Australia lifts minimum age on AstraZeneca vaccine recommendations

Australians aged under 60 are now being advised to receive the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 rather than AstraZeneca following changes to advice from the country's immunisation body.

The Australian Government is now recommending a minimum age of 60 to get the AstraZeneca shot, and to adapt to the new settings will be making Pfizer available to the 50-59 age bracket.

The latest advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) is in response to analysis of case rates and demographics for a rare blood clot condition that to date has led to the deaths of two people out of more than three million people who were given the jab.

"This remains a very rare but sometimes serious event. We're picking it up much more commonly than other countries because we're looking more fully," says Chief Medical Officer Dr Paul Kelly.

"We've got good diagnostic algorithms and very good treatment, modalities and understanding in the clinical community about the correct treatment, which has been given properly. 

"Our results really reflect that, so we've got 55 per cent of those 60 cases now have left hospital already - some remain in hospital and some are in ICU. We've had, unfortunately and very tragically, two deaths in that group."

However, Dr Kelly noted most people with the condition had been diagnosed early, and a large proportion have had a less severe form of the severe syndrome.

Secretary of the Department of Health Professor Brendan Murphy said he hoped the changes would mean more Australians will come forward to receive the jab.

"There are a number of people in the 50 to 59 year old age group who have been very hesitant and were probably not going to turn up for AstraZeneca, no matter how much we reassured them," Murphy said.

"This now gives some of those 2.1 million people an opportunity to get vaccinated earlier."

Updated at 1:40pm AEST on 17 June 2021.

QLD reinstates travel declaration form requirements

Australians and New Zealanders wishing to enter Queensland will once again need to fill out online travel declarations before they arrive, although a cross-border zone will be re-established so certain residents in the Sunshine State and northern NSW won't need to complete multiple forms.

The new rules will come into effect from 1am this Saturday, 19 June, and have been made to support contact tracing efforts.

"It's vital that if an interstate exposure site or hotspot is declared, our health experts can quickly contact anyone who has travelled into Queensland from that area," Queensland Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Yvette D'Ath said.

"This is the next line of defence for Queensland - if we're able to reach people quickly, it will reduce the risk of COVID-19 in Queensland and manage outbreaks right from the get-go.

"The declaration is made online and is quick and easy, taking only a few minutes to complete, and operates in a similar fashion to the Victorian system."

Following Victoria's lead, Queensland will introduce green, amber and red areas, where green means no travel restrictions, amber signifies interstate exposure venues, and red alerts to a hotspot.

New cases of COVID-19 are emerging in New South Wales and Victoria, and this step is a sensible measure to keep Queenslanders safe. Residents of border communities will be exempt.

Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) June 16, 2021

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said the declaration would need to be made up to 72 hours prior to travelling to Queensland.

"The travel declaration needs to be made close to your travel, to ensure it reflects the most up-to-date advice," she said.

"Things can change quickly with COVID-19 we've seen it time and time again, especially with the evolving situation in Victoria, so travellers will need to check the latest restrictions before travelling.

"We know there are a number of people living close to the Queensland border who either work or access important services regularly in Queensland or in northern New South Wales.

"We want to ensure they can continue to do that without making a declaration each time they cross the border, so we've established a border zone to cater for those situations."

The news comes as Queensland health authorities opt to maintain their hotspot declaration for Greater Melbourne for an extra week, while recent cases in Sydney have led Queensland's Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to call on residents to reconsider any planned travel to the NSW capital.

In line with other jurisdictions, we will maintain restrictions on travel from Greater Melbourne for another seven days, and we strongly advise those planning travel to Greater Sydney to reconsider.

Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) June 16, 2021

Updated at 12:40pm AEST on 17 June 2021.

New Zealand reopening to Victoria from next Wednesday

With Victoria recording zero new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 today, New Zealand has made the call to lift its travel bubble pause with the state from next Wednesday.

As such, from 11.59pm on Tuesday 22 June, the requirement for those from Victoria to complete two weeks of quarantine on arrival in NZ will be removed.

"It has been determined that the risk to public health in New Zealand continues to decrease and, at this time, public health officials consider it unlikely there is further widespread community transmission in the state," says the New Zealand Government.

"However, in line with our precautionary approach we consider this short extension to be prudent.

"New Zealand health officials will keep a close watch on developments in the state but at this point their advice is that we would expect to be in a position to lift the pause at the end of the five-day extension. This will be reviewed if the situation changes."

Everyone who is eligible can already return on "green flights", meaning they are not required to isolate when they arrive home. However, they must provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure.

Globally the COVID-19 situation is certainly different, with Brazil reporting more than 80,000 new infections and India recording 62,226 new cases yesterday.

The United States has recently surpassed more than 600,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19 the most of any country in the world.

In comparison, Australia has only recorded 910 deaths from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Updated at 10.06am AEST on 17 June 2021.

Bondi on alert after confirmed COVID case visited a number of venues

A new COVID-19 case who resides in Sydney's eastern suburbs has sparked a number of public health alerts for venues in Bondi, Vaucluse and Redfern that he visited while infectious.

Announced yesterday by New South Wales Health, the new confirmed case is a man in his 60s who works as a driver and has been transporting international flight crews.

Urgent investigations into the source of infection and contact tracing are underway, but a number of venues of concern have already been identified by authorities with attendees at specific times urged to get tested for the virus.

The following venue is a close contact venue. Anyone who attended the following venue at the time listed must immediately call NSW Health on 1800 943 553, get tested and self-isolate for 14 days from the date they were at the venue, regardless of the result:

• Screening of The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, Cinema 1, Events Cinema, Bondi Junction on Sunday 13 June from 1.30-4pm (1.45pm screening)

If you were at any of the following venues of concern at the times listed, you must immediately call NSW Health on 1800 943 553, get tested and self-isolate until you receive further information from NSW Health:

• Belle Café, Vaucluse on Friday 11 June from 9.15-9.50am
• Sourdough Bakery, Bondi Junction on Friday 11 June from 12.40-1.10pm
• Belle Café, Vaucluse on Saturday 12 June from 10.20-10.45am
• David Jones, Bondi Junction on Saturday 12 June from 11-11.40am
• Myer Bondi, Bondi Junction on Saturday 12 June from 11.40am-12.15pm
• Washoku Vaucluse, Vaucluse on Saturday 12 June from 11.40am-12.15pm
• Belle Café, Vaucluse on Saturday 12 June from 12-1.30pm
• Belle Café, Vaucluse on Sunday 13 June from 11.30am-12pm
• Events Cinema (all screening other than The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, Bondi Junction on Sunday 13 June from 1.30-4pm
• Rocco's, Vaucluse on Monday 14 June from 10.55-11.30am
• Coles, East Village Shopping Centre in Zetland on Monday 14 June from 11am-1pm
• Taste Growers, East Village Shopping Centre, Zetland on Monday 14 June from 11am-1pm
• Wax Car Wash Café, Redfern on Monday 14 June from 12-3pm
• Belle Café, Vaucluse on Tuesday 15 June from 9.50-10.25am
• Celeste Catering Macquarie Park Cemetery Café, North Ryde on Tuesday 15 June from 1-1.20pm
• Harry's Coffee and Kitchen, Bondi Junction on Tuesday 15 June 3-3.40pm
• NAB in Westfield, Bondi Junction on Tuesday 15 June from 2.45-3.10pm
• David Jones in Westfield, Bondi Junction on Tuesday 15 June from 3.30-4.15pm
• Field to Fork, Vaucluse on Friday 11 June from 12-4pm

Anyone on the following public transport service is a close contact and must immediately call NSW Health on 1800 943 553, get tested and self-isolate for 14 days from the date they were on the bus, regardless of the result:

• 200 Bus, Bondi Junction to North Sydney on Tuesday 15 June, departed approx. 4.25pm arrived approx. 5pm

Anyone who attended the following venue at the listed time is a casual contact and must immediately get tested and self-isolate until a negative result is received. Please continue to monitor for symptoms and immediately isolate and get tested if they develop:

• Fruitologist, Bondi on Tuesday 15 June from 1-2pm

A new pop-up testing clinic has opened today at the Albion Street Centre Laverty Pathology, 150 Albion Street (Crown Street entrance), Surry Hills, and will be open 8am to 6pm, seven days a week.

New Zealand has also chimed in on the update from NSW, with health authorities reviewing details of the case which "appears to have a clear link to the border".

It is expected that further information from NZ will be provided on the NSW cases later today.

Updated at 9.39am AEST on 17 June 2021.

COVID restrictions to ease in Melbourne from midnight tomorrow

Melburnians will once again be able to travel into Victorian regional areas when the intra-state border comes down from 11.59pm tomorrow.

In addition, a raft of restrictions in both Greater Melbourne and the state's regions will be eased tomorrow night, allowing larger public gatherings, increased capacities for hospitality businesses, and the reopening of gyms.

It comes after the state recorded five new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, including two announced yesterday afternoon and a further three linked to current outbreaks.

This latest outbreak led to an apartment complex in Southbank being placed into lockdown yesterday after an Arcare worker who lived at the complex tested positive and transmitted the virus to another resident.

Concurrently, South Australian health officials announced yesterday the state's border would soon reopen to those living in regional Victoria.

Once that change is in place, people entering SA from regional Victoria will still need to be tested for COVID-19 upon entry, but the conditions will be more relaxed on the border.

Further, with the snow season rapidly approaching, those intending on travelling to Victorian resorts must get tested at least 72 hours before departure and receive a negative result.

Restrictions to ease

From 11.59pm tomorrow several restrictions in Victoria will ease, with the rules differing for Greater Melbourne and the state's regions.

For Melbourne the following restrictions will ease:

• The 25km travel limit will be removed
• Public gatherings will be allowed for up to 20 people
• Gatherings in the home will be allowed with up to two visitors per day plus their dependants
• A number of businesses will reopen including gyms, indoor entertainment and electronic gaming with density limits and a COVIDsafe plan in place
• Hospitality venues can welcome 25 patrons before applying a density quotient
• Melburnians are still encouraged to work from home, but office sites can accommodate up to 50 per cent or 20 people, whichever is greater
• Community sport competitions will resume
• Masks are still recommended outdoors but remain mandatory for indoor settings

For regional Victoria the following restrictions will ease:

• Public gatherings will increase to up to 50 people
• Restaurants and cafes will have a maximum of 300 patrons for seated dining
• Smaller hospitality venues will have up to 25 people before any density quotient applies
• Religious ceremonies will have a maximum of 300 people in attendance
• Funerals will have 100 people in attendance
• Weddings will have 50 people in attendance
• Office sites will have up to 75 per cent of capacity on site, or 30 people whichever is greater
• Up to five adults will be allowed to visit another home per day plus their dependants

In addition, the state government is permitting a crowd of 7,000 people at the Geelong AFL game this weekend, provided all attendees are local and members of the two clubs playing.

These settings will be in place for the next seven days.

Updated at 12.47pm AEST on 16 June 2021.

Victoria pledges $20 million in grants for lockdown-hit events sector

The Victorian Government has stepped up to provide $20 million in support to events businesses in the state that were impacted by the May-June 2021 COVID-19 restrictions on the sector.

New support grants are up for grabs as part of the Victorian Events Support Package, designed to support the industry that was suddenly closed down due to the state's most recent lockdown.

The package delivers grants in five areas and is part of more than $500 million allocated by the state government to businesses over the past two weeks.

The Sustainable Events Business Program provides payments of up to $250,000 to major event organisers, hosts and suppliers who have had the ongoing viability of their event or business significantly affected during the restrictions that began in late May.

Successful applicants must have most of their operations in Victoria and have experienced a minimum 50 per cent decline in annual turnover in the three months prior to 27 May 2021 compared with the same period in 2019.

They will also have a payroll of more than $3 million in metropolitan Melbourne or $500,000 in regional Victoria.

The Impacted Public Events Support Program will deliver grants of $25,000 to event organisers and $10,000 to suppliers of Tier 1 and Tier 2 events - events with crowds above 1,001 people - that have incurred costs as a direct result of the recent public health restrictions.

Victoria's cinemas will benefit from the Independent Cinemas Support Program, which provides eligible independent operators required to close due to restrictions with a payment of $12,000 per cinema venue.

Producers of live performance events are eligible for up to $7,000 under the Live Performance Support Program - Presenters. Suppliers to live performance events are eligible for up to $500 per event, with a maximum of four events, under the Live Performance Support Program - Suppliers.

Promoters, venues, producers and artists who promote their own shows are eligible to apply for the Live Performance Support Programs, along with contracted suppliers such as artists, performers, technicians and other crew members.

Applications for the grants will open shortly at business.vic.gov.au/events-support.

Updated at 12.06pm AEST on 15 June 2021.

New COVID case on the Sunshine Coast after woman travelled from Melbourne

Update (10 July): The husband of the positive COVID-19 case has tested positive to the virus after previously testing negative, which leads health authorities to believe both individuals are towards the end of their infectious period. The man's parents have also tested negative to the virus, as has one other person out of a list of 17 immediate contacts.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath has confirmed a new COVID-19 case on the Sunshine Coast after a 44-year-old drove with her partner from Melbourne and yesterday got tested for the virus.

The Queensland Government held a press conference this afternoon after the test came up positive today, confirming the individual had travelled through NSW, and visited the Goondiwindi McDonald's and a Caltex in Toowoomba on the morning of 5 June on her way to Caloundra.

In Queensland itself the individual visited these listed venues on the days that followed:

• Sunnys @ Moffatt, Caloundra - 2:45-3pm (6 June)
• Coffee Cat on Kings Beach - 3:30-4:30pm (6 June)
• Stockland Shopping Centre, Caloundra (specifically The Coffee Club and Kmart) - 10:45-11:30am (7 June)
• Bunnings Caloundra - 12:10-12:45pm (7 June)
• Kawana Shoppingworld (Foodcourt and female toilets near JB Hi-Fi) - 1-2pm (7 June)
• Female toilets near IGA Baringa - 3:50-4:10pm (8 June)

"These are only initial sites. We will be getting more sites as we talk to the lady and her family," says Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young.

"We'll be putting those up on the website. It's very, very important that people please check them.

"I know that people in the Sunshine Coast have always been fantastic at getting tested. We've always seen large numbers come out - there are more places that you can be tested and hours are extending, so please come forward and get tested."

The woman left Melbourne on 1 June, and this evening NSW Health has confirmed that between that date and her arrival in QLD she stopped at places in Gillenbah, Forbes, Dubbo and Moree, signing in to several venues using QR codes.

This evening NSW Health published a list of venues she visited over that five-day period. These include Caltex Narrandera in Gillenbah and the Vandenberg Hotel in Forbes on 1 June; the Brew Coffee Bar in Forbes and several locations in Dubbo over 2-3 June including CSC - Church Street Cafe, Reading Cinemas Dubbo and the Homestead Motel; and a few locations in Moree between 3-5 June including Gwydir Carpark/Motel & Thermal Pools, Cafe Omega and the Amaroo Tavern.

Earlier today the state's authorities also advised Woolworths Moree and the Shell Petrol Station in Dubbo were potential exposure sites. 

"Anyone who lives in or has visited these areas since 1 June, is asked to be especially vigilant for the onset of even the mildest of cold-like symptoms, and is urged to come forward for testing immediately if they appear, then isolate until a negative result is received," NSW Health reported.

"NSW Health will be providing pop-up clinics and extended hours at existing clinics to support increased testing for the communities in these areas."

Dr Young believes the person may have been infectious since 1 June because she displayed symptoms on 3 June.

"I'm waiting for serology results to see how long she's had this infection," Dr Young said.

"She may have been infectious while travelling through NSW, so I am working with my colleagues in NSW to work through that."

In other news, Queensland authorities have responded to changes announced today for easing restrictions in Victoria, opting to open the border to travellers coming from regional Victoria from 1am this Friday, 11 June.

"But those in the Greater Melbourne area, which will be 31 local government authorities, will still require an exemption to be able to travel to Queensland if they're a non-resident, and if they are a resident they will be required to go into hotel quarantine," Minister D'Ath said.

Originally published at 4:11pm AEST on 9 June 2021, updated at 8:20pm AEST.

Victoria to lift lockdown, flags compulsory QR codes in all workplaces

Victorian Acting Premier James Merlino has announced Melbourne's lockdown will end on 11:59pm tomorrow night, but masks will still be mandatory indoors and authorities are also planning to make QR codes required in all workplaces.

"This is a good day. Everyone should be absolutely proud of what we've all achieved together, but we know that this isn't over yet," Merlino said after just one new locally acquired case was reported today.

This takes the total number of cases linked to the latest outbreak to 68, with the Acting Premier encouraged by the fact 28,000 Victorians got tested for COVID-19 yesterday.

"Thanks to these very high testing numbers our public health team are getting a better sense of these outbreaks that are moving through our community," he said.

On the advice of Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, the State Government will remove the five-reasons-to-leave home rule from tomorrow night and extend the 10km travel limit to 25km.

"That means the only reasons to go further than 25 kilometers will be for work, education, caregiving or getting a vaccination," he said.

"Travel into regional Victoria still remains a no-go for now," he clarified, noting that if all goes to plan the division between the capital and the rest of the state would be lifted at 11:59pm next Thursday, 17 June.

Merlino noted people would be able to return to offices in Melbourne at a 25 per cent or a cap of 10, whichever is greater, although the government was still asking people to work from home where possible.

Restaurants and cafes can reopen for seated service with up to 100 people per venue with a maximum of 50 inside, while retail can reopen in line with density limits of one person per four square metres.

Hair and beauty therapy can also resume for treatments where masks can be worn, schools will resume face-to-face learning on Friday, and masks will no longer be required outdoors unless you cannot maintain a 1.5-metre distance.

Some businesses such as gyms, amusement parks, dance studios and nightclubs will need to remain closed for a little while longer. In an attempt to alleviate the impacts, the Acting Premier has announced a further $8.36 million to provide an additional $2,000 grant to support thousands of businesses that are eligible for the Business Cost Assistance Program that remain closed under the restrictions announced today.

Unless there is an exemption by the Federal Government or Australia's Chief Medical Officer maintains the declaration of Melbourne as a hotspot, workers in the aforementioned industries would be unlikely to have access to the COVID-19 disaster payment as outlined by the Prime Minister last week.

"Another thing I want to put on people's radar is in regards to QR codes. On the advice of the Chief Health Officer we will be moving to make QR check-ins compulsory for all workplaces with very limited exemptions," Merlino said.

"Previously it's only been mandatory for customer-facing businesses, but through this outbreak we have seen a number of cases occur in office settings, so we want to take the next step on this.

"We will be looking to consult with industry over the next few days around implementation, and we'll finalise the details next week ahead of the requirements coming into effect."

New settings for regional Victoria

Regional Victoria's already relaxed settings will also improve from 11:59pm tomorrow, with visitors allowed at the home at a maximum of two people and their dependants per day, and gatherings of up to 20 will be allowed in contrast to the limit of 10 for Greater Melbourne.

Restaurants and cafes in regional Victoria will be able to have a maximum of 150 people per venue with seated service, and no more than 75 allowed outdoors. Offices will remain capped at 50 per cent and community sport will be back for all ages both for training and competition.

"Finally, regional Victorians will still be able to travel around regional Victoria, Melburnians will not," Merlino said.

Updated at 12:06pm AEST on 9 July 2021.

PM announces $500 per week package for some lockdown-hit workers

Workers affected by state-imposed COVID-19 lockdown periods that last longer than a week may be eligible to take up a support payment from the Federal Government aimed at assisting those left without any income.

However, the temporary COVID disaster payment can only be taken up by those living pay cheque to pay cheque. People with liquid assets of $10,000 or greater are completely left out of the plan. 

This implies aspirational homeowners who are still saving for their deposits will not receive this support, in contrast to some peers who already own homes and spent the equivalent savings on a deposit.

Announced today, the payment to be made on a week-by-week basis will be $500 for those who would ordinarily work more than 20 hours per week, or $325 for those who would work less than 20 hours in a seven-day period.

There are a number of caveats to the Commonwealth's plan; first, it only activates once state governments impose lockdown restrictions of more than seven days.

Further, it can only go to those living or working in an area deemed a 'hotspot' by the Federal Government's Chief Health Officer.

Under these restrictions, the support is expected to help many currently living under the Victorian Government's two-week COVID-19 lockdown in Greater Melbourne.

In addition, recipients must be an Australian resident or a holder of a visa class permitted to work in Australia, be engaged in paid employment immediately prior to the lockdown restrictions and have had their income impacted by state-imposed restrictions.

They must also self-declare that they would have worked during the relevant period of lockdown, that they have lost income during the period, and have insufficient leave entitlements to cover them. Applicants will not be required to take annual leave.

Those currently receiving Federal income support payments like JobSeeker are ineligible to claim under the proposed program.

"We're talking about someone getting through the next week, who would ordinarily be in an economic situation where every dollar counts," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

"Where those who have independent means of supporting themselves for a week, then I think they would agree that reaching out for Commonwealth taxpayer funded assistance is not something that we consider reasonable for such a short period of time."

Updated at 1.32pm AEST on 2 June 2021.

Southern NSW exposure site list grows

More locations in southern New South Wales have been classified as "venues of concern" by the state's health authorities, with the original timeframe expanded as three household contacts of the original case test positive.

Nearly 250 people have been identified as casual contacts of the family from Melbourne which visited the Jervis Bay area between 19 and 24 May while potentially infectious.

NSW Health is continuing to investigate the movements of the family and this list of venues may expand still.

Those who were at the following venues at the times listed have been asked to immediately call NSW Health on 1800 943 553, get tested and isolate until further information from authorities is provided:

• Shell Coles Express Big Merino, Goulburn on 19 May between 1.45-2.05pm
• The Coffee Pedaler, Gundagai on 19 May between 9.30-11.1am
• Green Patch campground, Booderee National Park, Jervis Bay from 4pm 19 May to 9am 24 May
• 5 Little Pigs, Huskisson on Friday 21 May between 8-11.30am
• Huskisson Treasure Chest, Huskisson on 21 May between 11.30am-12pm
• Coles Vincentia Shopping Village, Vincentia on 21 May between 12-1pm and 22 May between 12-1pm

Anyone at the follow venues at the times listed must immediately be tested and isolate until a negative result is received:

• Gundagai Craft Centre, Gundagai on 19 May between 11am-12pm
• Junque and Disorderly Antique Shop, Gundagai on 19 May between 11am-12pm

Anyone who lives in Jervis Bay, Vincentia, Huskisson, Gundagai or Goulburn, or has visited these areas since 19 May, is asked to be especially vigilant for the onset of even the mildest of cold-like symptoms, and is urged to come forward for testing immediately if they appear, then isolate until a negative result is received.

The locations above are in addition to previously announced venues of concern to NSW Health in the Jervis Bay area:

• Shell Coles Express Big Merino, Goulburn on Monday 24 May from 10-11.30am
• Trapper's Bakery, Goulburn on Monday 24 May from 10.30-11.30am
• Cooked Goose Café, Hyams Beach on Sunday 23 May from 10am-12pm
• Green Patch campground, Booderee National Park, Jervis Bay on Sunday 23 May all day until 9am on Monday 24 May
• Coles Vincentia Shopping Village, Vincentia on Sunday 23 May from 12-1pm

Updated at 9.45am on 3 June 2021.

Melbourne lockdown extended another week, more business support incoming

As health authorities in Victoria scramble to manage a variant of COVID-19 that is more contagious than any other seen in the state, the lockdown has been extended in Melbourne for an extra seven days.

A 'ring of steel' will be introduced keeping the capital separate from regional Victoria, where several restrictions will be eased from 11.59pm tomorrow.

To soften the blow on businesses, a further $209 million support package will be delievered this week, on top of $250 million in existing support.

The Business Costs Assistance Program is being increased from $2,500 to $5,000 in total (or $2,500 per lockdown week). There will also be a $28 million increase to the Licensed Hospitality Fund with grants under the program to be beefed up from $3,500 to $7,000.

The state's Treasurer Tim Pallas has been in contact with his Federal counterpart Josh Frydenberg seeking the implementation of JobKeeper-style payments to see Melburnians through the next week. Acting Premier James Merlino is expected to meet with Prime Minister Scott Morrison later today to discuss the issue.

The State Government is also expanding its Service VIC QR code system to be mandatory at all retail outlets across the entire state.

The news comes as Victoria records six new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the total connected to this latest outbreak to 60.

With more than 350 exposure sites, and only two per cent of the state's population fully vaccinated, Merlino said easing lockdown in the capital would result in a disaster.

"If we let this run its course it will explode," Merlino said

"If that happens, it's our most vulnerable, it's our parents, it our grandparents...it's those Victorians that will pay the price."

While restrictions are expected to ease in regional Victoria, Health Minister Martin Foley noted there had been new unexpected detections in particular in Bendigo and the Mornington Peninsula.

The issue of casual transmission also remains a concern to Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.

"This variant of concern is starting to show up in places where normally it would be less likely. So the Brighton Beach Hotel, that was an outdoor dining setting, well ventilated, you wouldn't expect transmission to occur," Sutton said.

"We still had it as an exposure site, we still informed people to test and isolate until returning a negative, but in fact all of those people will need to be in quarantine because transmission has occurred there. 

"That's not something that we routinely see, and we didn't routinely see it in 2020, but we have to bear in mind that all the variants of concern now are really a step up to some degree."

The variant of concern in this particular outbreak, the 'Kappa' variant, is also more infectious than any strain seen in Melbourne to date, according to Sutton.

"This Kappa variant, as it's now called, is not the most infectious, but it is more infectious than anything we saw in the beginning and middle of 2020," Sutton said.

"At least one in 10 current cases have caught this virus in those casual contact settings, so not the workplace, at-home, close contact settings where we know and expect transmission to occur.

"I have described it as an absolute beast, because we have to run it down to the ground. There are a dozen countries that had no community transmission going into 2021 that have now lost control, that have community transmission and will probably not bring it back to a point where they've got no community transmission again."

Lockdown extended for Melbourne

Current restrictions in Melbourne will remain in place for a further seven days with some small changes.

The five reasons to leave the home stay the same: shopping for food and supplies, authorised work and study, care and caregiving, exercise, and getting vaccinated.

However, Melburnians are permitted to travel a bit further - within a 10km radius of their home.

Year 11 and 12s will return to face to face learning from 11.59pm tomorrow, and a number of outdoor jobs have been added to the authorised list including landscaping, painting, installing solar panels, and letterboxing.

Mask wearing remains mandatory.

"At the end of another seven days we do expect to be in a position to ease restrictions in Melbourne," Merlino said.

"This will give us a full 14 days - one full cycle of the virus - to make sure we understand how and where this mutation is moving."

Restrictions to ease in regional Victoria

The state government is planning on easing restrictions in regional VIC from tomorrow.

That means lifting the travel restrictions and the 'five reasons', and all year levels and all students will return to face-to-face schooling.

Public gatherings will be increased to ten people, restaurants and cafés can reopen to a maximum of 50. Retail, beauty and personal care, entertainment venues and community facilities will also open in line with density limits.

In addition religious ceremonies and funerals will be capped at 50, weddings at ten.

Regional Victorians will be permitted to travel anywhere in the state except for into Melbourne, and all businesses outside of the capital must check the IDs of patrons to keep the community safe. 

Updated at 12.21pm AEST on 2 June 2021.

Jervis Bay on alert after COVID-infected Victorian went on camping trip

A confirmed case of COVID-19 from Melbourne has placed the Jervis Bay, New South Wales community on high alert after they visited the area on 23 and 24 May.

NSW Health was advised by the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services yesterday that the confirmed case was in Jervis Bay, Goulburn, Hyams Beach and Vincentia while potentially infectious, leading to a number of public health alerts for venues they visited.

The person drove back to Melbourne on 24 May (three days before Victoria's lockdown took effect), reported the onset of symptoms on 25 May and was tested yesterday.

As such, anyone who was at any of the following venues of concern at the listed times must called NSW Health on 1800 943 554, get tested and isolate until they receive further information from authorities:

• Shell Coles Express Big Merino, Goulburn on Monday 24 May from 10-11.30am
• Trapper's Bakery, Goulburn on Monday 24 May from 10.30-11.30am
• Cooked Goose Café, Hyams Beach on Sunday 23 May from 10am-12pm
• Green Patch campground, Booderee National Park, Jervis Bay on Sunday 23 May all day until 9am on Monday 24 May 
• Coles Vincentia Shopping Village, Vincentia on Sunday 23 May from 12-1pm

"NSW Health is continuing to investigate the movements of this case in and around Jervis Bay, and the list of venues is likely to be updated," says NSW Health.

"Anyone who lives in Jervis Bay, or has visited Jervis Bay since 22 May, is asked to be especially vigilant for the onset of even the mildest of cold-like symptoms, and is urged to come forward for testing immediately if they appear, then isolate until a negative result is received. Additionally, anyone who has recently had symptoms should also get tested."

It comes as Victoria reported six new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 today, bringing the total connected to the latest outbreak to 60.

Updated at 10.01am AEST on 2 June 2021.

"Stranger-to-stranger" transmission fears mount as Melbourne reports three new cases

Victorian health authorities are concerned fleeting contact between people is behind some of the state's COVID-19 outbreak as three new locally acquired cases were announced today.

The three new cases brings the total connected with this latest outbreak to 54, with none of today's locally acquired cases reported in aged care facilities.

Though the missing link connecting the initial case which sparked Victoria's outbreak (the man who was infected in an Adelaide quarantine hotel) to the other cases has not yet been uncovered, authorities are concerned there is evidence of casual acquisition.

Unlike close contact transmission, that being between friends at a pub or family members in a home, this phenomenon of casual contact is fleeting and between total strangers.

While VIC COVID Testing Commander Joroen Weimar said he is pleased more than 40,000 people came out to get tested yesterday, he is concerned that casual contact may mean there are other cases of the virus out there in the community.

"We have seen transmission in these places with very fleeting contact," Weimar said.

"We have transmission in places like the Telstra store in South Melbourne, JMD Grocers, the display home we talked about a few days ago, I'd add Craigieburn Central shopping centre.

"They are all examples of transmission with very limited contact. With previous variants, we are more used to transmission occurring in the home, in the workplace, where people know each other already, not at all of those big social settings. These are quite different."

As such, Weimar has called on anyone who has been to the following sites in the past two weeks to come forward and get tested for COVID-19:

• Craigieburn Central
• Bay Street shops in Port Melbourne
• Clarendon Street in the South Melbourne
• Pacific Epping, also known as the Epping Plaza
• The Epping North shopping centre
• Broadway Reservoir

Aged care and disability workers to be given priority vaccine access

Victorian health authorities are preparing for a "five-day blitz" to vaccinate more aged care and disability services workers.

From Wednesday 2 June to Sunday 6 June, workers in private sector aged care facilities and the residential disability sector will be given priority access to walk-in vaccination hubs around Victoria between 9am and 4pm.

The following vaccination hubs are participating in the blitz:

• The Royal Exhibition Building
• The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
• Sandown Racecourse
• The Melbourne Showgrounds
• The former Ford factory in Geelong
• Bendigo community clinic
• Ballarat Mercure Hotel and Convention Centre
• Shepparton Showgrounds
• The Macintosh Centre
• Elgin racecourse
• The Wodonga vaccination hub

Updated at 1.30pm AEST on 1 June 2021.

Victoria unveils $250m support package for lockdown-hit businesses

As Victoria remains in lockdown affected businesses will receive some monetary assistance from the state government in the form of a $250 million support package to help up to 90,000 companies.

Announced over the weekend, the 'Circuit Breaker Support Package' features initiatives for small-to-medium-sized businesses and sole traders, as well as targeted support for the hospitality and events industries.

It comes as Victoria reports 11 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 today including six cases that came through after the midnight cutoff. 

These include cases relating to an emerging outbreak in the private residential aged care sector, with one of the new cases being the son of the intial infected person who worked at the Arcare facility in Maidstone.

In addition, one new case is a staff member at that facility who worked alongside the initial case but also worked at another centre - the Blue Cross ACG Sunshine facility - on 26, 27 and 28 May.

A third case linked to the Arcare outbreak is a resident of the Maidstone facility - a woman in her 90s who is asymptomatic but has now been transferred to a separate hospital. 

Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 exposure sites in Victoria has balooned to more than 270 locations, and now includes Brighton Beach Hotel, several shops in DFO Uni Hill, retail and food outlets across Craigieburn, Epping, Cranbourne, Doreen, Footscray, Lalor, Chadstone, Mill Park, St Kilda, Point Cook, Port Melbourne, South Melbourne, Preston, Broadway Reservoir, Thomastown, Yarraville, South Yarra, a German Sheperd Dog Club in Keilor Downs, Metricon display homes in Kalkallo and Mickleham.

The full list of exposure sites can be found here.

As part of the support package, $190.01 million will form a second round of the Business Costs Assistance Program which will offer grants of $2,500 for eligible businesses directly affected by the circuit breaker restrictions, including restaurants and cafes, event suppliers, accommodation providers and non-essential retailers.

A $40.7 million new round of the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund will provide businesses holding an eligible liquor licence and food certificate with a $3,500 grant per premises.

Finally, $20 million will be dedicated to supporting operators in the events industry who have incurred losses due to the circuit breaker restrictions. Details of this part of the package will be unveiled later this week.

"The circuit-breaker action will keep Victorians safe and protect businesses and jobs but we know it's not easy shutting your doors and putting your plans on hold," VIC Acting Premier James Merlino said.

"This support will help businesses pay the bills and maintain their workforce as best they can, as we work together to get through this challenge."

Businesses can register their interest in the Business Costs Assistance Program at business.vic.gov.au, so they can be notified when applications open this week. Operators eligible for the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund payment will be contacted directly by email in coming days.

Updated at 9.53am AEST on