Australia news LIVE Victoria records 1313 new COVID-19 cases four lives lost NSW records 261 new local cases one death heavy rain lashes parts of the country
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The medical regulator is considering an application from Moderna, for the company’s coronavirus vaccine to be used in younger children and as a booster shot in adults.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration granted the provisional determination yesterday, allowing Moderna to submit data to vary its vaccine approval.
Currently, the vaccine is approved in everyone aged 12 and up. The TGA is now assessing data from Moderna on the use of its vaccine in children aged six to 11, and a separate application on the vaccine’s use as a booster.
Health Minister Greg Hunt is speaking around 9.30am AEDT and he’ll give us more detail on the process.
NSW has recorded 261 new local COVID-19 cases and one death.
There were 77,009 tests conducted in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday, and three new overseas or interstate acquired infections.
Of the state’s population aged 16 and older, 90.4 per cent are fully vaccinated and 94 per cent have received at least one dose.
There are 228 COVID-19 patients in hospital including 40 in ICU.
Victoria’s daily coronavirus numbers are in.
The state has recorded 1313 new cases of COVID-19 and four deaths. Today’s tally is up from yesterday’s 1003 cases.
There are now 15,675 active cases of COVID-19 across the state.
Today’s numbers are off the back of yesterday’s 67,105 coronavirus tests.
There are 457 coronavirus patients in Victorian hospitals. Of those, 79 are in intensive care. Forty-eight are on a ventilator.
In terms of vaccines, 85 per cent of Victorian residents aged 12 and over have now had both coronavirus jabs.
Circling back to Anthony Albanese for a moment, and the Opposition Leader has responded to former Labor prime minister Paul Keating’s criticism over the party’s stance on China.
As reported yesterday, Mr Keating lashed the Labor Party for not standing up to the Coalition’s foreign affairs policies (which have infuriated Beijing). Specifically, the former PM said Australia’s plan to acquire nuclear submarines from the United States to contain China was like “throwing a handful of toothpicks at the mountainâ€.
Speaking on the Today show earlier, Mr Albanese insisted that Australia was right to stand up for itself.
“China has changed its posture, that’s the truth,†the Opposition Leader said.
“They’re far more forward-leaning. Australia’s right to speak up for our own values and China is the nation that’s changed in terms of their attitude towards Australian imports, for example, and Australian businesses are suffering.
“[But] there’s no doubt that we need to have a more strong effort working with business, and we should always try and work diplomatically [with other countries].
“At the moment, though, have bad relations not just with China. We’ve had Joe Biden distance himself from the Australian government as well as the French.â€
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet is due to hold a press conference shortly.
He will be joined by Minister for Veterans Natalie Ward to make an announcement about the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway, given today is Remembrance Day.
Watch live below.
Continuing with the Prime Minister’s media appearances, and Today co-host Allison Langdon has asked the PM whether he has a “trust problem†given his party appears to be lagging in the polls.
Here’s what Scott Morrison had to say in response:
Of course not. Because at the moment, and at all times, elections are always closely fought in Australia. They always have been.
What this election is going to be about is who is best placed to secure this economic recovery and ensure that we can stand up for Australia’s interests, particularly in a part of the world which is becoming increasingly uncertain.
You’ve got to have the strength to stand up for Australia and stand up for the policies that are needed to secure this recovery and keep Australians safe.
What I’m always going to do is stand up for Australia’s interests. And whether that’s making sure we make the right decisions about what submarines Australia needs to defend our interests or what’s the right set of climate policies to protect jobs in rural and regional areas and the suburbs of our major cities, I’m always going to be standing up for Australia.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is doing the media rounds this morning.
His first major television appearance was on Seven’s breakfast show Sunrise. Co-host David Koch asked if Mr Morrison’s electric vehicle policy was a “massive backflipâ€, given he slammed Bill Shorten’s electric vehicle plan at the last federal election â€" going as far as to claim it would ruin people’s weekends.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaking in Melbourne yesterday. Credit:Paul Jeffers
“Bill Shorten and the Labor Party wanted to force people to [make the shift to electric vehicles] and I still don’t want to do that,†the PM replied.
“They want to put up your petrol prices, increase your cost of living to force you to make other choices. We want to respect the choices people make. People want to buy electric cars, fantastic. That was what our policy was at the last election.
“[To use another example], the Labor Party wanted to spend $6 billion paying people to get the vaccine that they had already got. We trust the Australian people and look at our vaccine rates now ... we will have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world.â€
The Assistant Commissioner for the NSW State Emergency Service, Dean Storey, says there are currently 18 flood watches in place in his state.
“A large proportion of the state is in the firing line,†he told the Today show.
“If people live in a flood prone area, plan now. Know what you will do and where you will go in the unfortunate event that you have to leave your home due to flooding. We’re going to see a combination of flash flooding which can be really un predictable and come on really quickly.
“Roads will be cut off in many areas, so avoid unnecessary travel in those areas and never drive through floodwaters. Time and time again we see poor results with poor decision-making with people driving through floodwaters. Often with tragic results.â€
As previously mentioned, parts of north-east NSW and south-east Queensland are bracing for record amounts of rain today and in the coming days. The weather system will reach Victoria by the weekend, although the rain won’t be as intense.
The Assistant Commissioner said areas of particular concern included the NSW towns of Moree, Armadale, Tamworth and even parts of the Riverina.
He urged people to visit the Bureau of Meteorology website for further information.
Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese was on Nine’s Today show earlier this morning.
He was asked about the $1 billion lower emissions technology fund that was announced by the federal government earlier this week.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
As you might recall, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says technology, not taxes, will solve climate change. But some say the proposed technology fund should be focusing on existing, proven technologies.
Here’s what Albanese had to say when asked if he supports the PM’s plan:
He can’t even get the support of his own side at this stage! That’s what the reports in the papers say.
Look, we haven’t seen any legislation but this is an announcement in search of policy. Once again.
This is a government which yesterday was announcing half a billion dollars of new government money which today is saying, “We want less government.†Which is it?
This is a government that says they support carbon capture and storage and they need funds for it but they abolish more than $500 million for that when they came into office.
The contradictions are there. By the time we get back to Parliament, this policy will have changed five or six times.
China and the United States have made a shock joint statement at the Glasgow climate talks, declaring climate change to be an existential crisis demanding co-operation between the two powers.
Addressing a press conference at the COP26 summit, Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua said the two nations were determined to make co-operation “concrete and pragmatic†and pledged to establish a working group to “enhance climate action in the 2020sâ€.
Joe Biden and Xi Jinping will hold a virtual summit before the end of the year.Credit:AFR
The announcement is a huge boost to the United Nations talks and is a sharp contrast to US President Joe Biden’s criticism of China over climate change only last week.
More on this developing story here.
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