Australia will be closed for two additional weeks while plans to admit thousands of student workers and refugees to Australia are stalled by the Omicron Covid variant.
On Monday, the federal government’s National Security Committee decided to delay opening international borders as scheduled until December 15th.
Also, the date for the launch of a travel bubble with Japan & Korea has been delayed until this day.
“The temporary pause will allow Australia to gather the information it needs to better understand Omicron variant,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated in a Monday statement.
‘[This includes]The effectiveness of the vaccine and its ability to cause illness.
Personal protective equipment-equipped travelers load their baggage into taxis at Sydney Airport International Terminal on Monday as the world reacts to the Omicron coronavirus variant.
After two additional travellers in Sydney tested positive for the South African variant, Australia now has five cases.
Two new cases were brought to Sydney by two passengers on a Singapore Airlines flight SQ211, which arrived from South Africa Sunday night.
NSW Health confirmed that both were fully vaccinated, and they are receiving special accommodation for their health.
All passengers on board the flight have been considered close contacts and must be tested for contamination and isolated for 14 days.
There are now five cases of the super-mutant South Africa strain in Australia after the two travellers tested positive in Sydney as well as a man at a quarantine facility in the Northern Territory.
On Saturday, the first Omicron cases arrived in Sydney aboard a Qatar Airways flight departing Doha. Then genomic testing was performed to confirm that the Omicron variant had been successfully transmitted.
Both were fully-vaccinated and were placed into special health accommodation.
The third case, a man who arrived at Howards Springs quarantine on a repatriation flight from Johannesburg, tested positive for the new strain earlier today.
All of five cases were asymptomatic and detected in hotel quarantine.
As authorities scrabble to determine the severity of the new strain, NSW, Victoria, and the ACT temporarily re-imposed a 72-hour self-isolation requirement for all international arrivals.
Under new federal restrictions, incoming international travellers who have been in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Malawi, and the Seychelles in the past 14 days must undergo two weeks hotel quarantine.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said 141 people have come to the state from the nine countries of concern over the past 24 hours, and all have been sent to hotel quarantine for 14 days.
Although he has ordered all international arrivals to quarantine at home for 72 hours, Mr Perrottet insisted the NSW international and state borders would remain open.
‘Ultimately we need to open up to the world (and) we need to do so safely,’ he told reporters on Monday.
‘We don’t need to have a knee-jerk reaction, we need to have a proportionate and balanced response to the situation that’s in front of us.’
‘The responses should not be ”Let’s shut down”.’
The latest infections bring the number of Omicron cases in Australia to five after two Sydney travellers and a man in the NT tested positive. Pictured: travellers undergo Covid tests at the pre-departure testing facility at Sydney airport on Monday
Mr Perrottet also stressed NSW was better equipped to confront new variants.
‘We’ve got to learn to live alongside the variants of the virus that come our way,’ he said.
‘And the vaccination rate here is one of the highest in the world.
‘That is not the case in the southern African nations.’
The premier has said there are no plans to adjust the state’s reopening roadmap, which has restrictions easing for the unvaccinated on December 15.
However, restrictions will be tailored in response to the variant if needed, he said.
NSW recorded 150 new locally-acquired Covid cases on Monday, and no new deaths for the fifth consecutive day.
Hospitals are treating 170 patients, five more than the previous day, including 25 people in intensive care. Ten require ventilation.
Some 92.4 per cent of NSW residents over 16 are now fully vaccinated, while 94.5 per cent have received one dose.
Of those aged 12 to 15, 81.3 per cent have received one jab and 76.5 per cent both.
The latest virus mutation, first detected in South Africa, sparked concerns around the globe amid fears it is more transmissible than world’s most contagious and dominant strain, Delta.
Early indications suggest the new Variant Omicron may spread faster but is not as severe, with patients in South Africa only suffering mild illness.
It has been speculated that this could be the new dominant strain, and provide an immune boost to those who are infected.
During a press conference on Monday Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly was asked: ‘What’s your view of the idea that a mild version of Covid that spreads rapidly could contribute to immunity, top-up people’s ability to stave off maybe more severe versions of the virus?’
Professor Kelly responded: “I believe this morning, in my media interviews, I stated that it would be my number-one Christmas gift.” It would, if that’s how it turned out.
He expressed hope that Australians would enjoy Christmas with no restrictions and said, “That would certainly be a very interesting shift. And a positive one.”
Greg Hunt directed Australia’s vaccine specialists to review the timing of booster shots, in view the Omicron variant. Pictured: Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of Australia receives his booster shot in Sydney on 19 November
Kelly stated that scientists need more information to determine if the strain is indeed less severe.
“But, I really state very clearly that we are not yet in a position to make such a statement and that this is definitely the way it will end up. He said, “But hope for the best” and that he would plan for things.
Omicron, a variant of Omicron, was first identified in South Africa November 11. It is now spread across the globe to include the US, Australia and the UK.
Australia has closed the borders to nine southern African countries on Saturday amid concerns that this could reduce effectiveness of vaccines.
Greg Hunt, Health Minister of Australia has asked Australia’s vaccine experts for a review on the timeline for Covid-19 booster shots due to the African Omicron variant.
Current boosters are given six months following the second dose, however the time gap can be cut to protect against the new strain of mutant bacteria. This strain is thought to be about as contagious and as deadly as the Delta strain.
The Health Minister stated Monday morning to reporters that ATAGI had reviewed booster time frames for international evidence. This includes both immunity information and Omicron variant.
“And they will continue to follow our advice and act independently as usual. However, we are always prepared.
When asked by Hunt if the timeline would be cut to just four months following the second dose, he replied that he wouldn’t speculate about any times.
According to Pfizer, he also stated that he had spoken with Moderna and Pfizer bosses regarding their plans to develop variant-specific booster shot. These shots could be available in as little as 100 days.
Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline stated that it would find out in just two weeks how its Omicron jab worked.
Paul Kelly, Professor of Covid-19 has said that the ‘Christmas gift’ would come in the form of a contagious variant. Image: Last Christmas Revellers, Sydney
While preparing for an urgent meeting of the National Cabinet on Tuesday, the Prime Minister insisted that there are no reasons to panic over Omicron’s new strain. He also stated there were no indications the vaccines against Omicron did not work.
Morrison explained, “Ofcourse it is worrying, that’s why we’re getting as much information as we can,”
“We aren’t in the same place we were at the beginning of 2020. 86.7% of the population is vaccinated.
“We already have 13 additional strains of the virus that we have seen. It is not the first time we’ve seen this strain, but the evidence so far does not indicate that it is more serious.
“On the issues of transmission and vaccine impact, we have no evidence to date.
Victoria health authorities are currently investigating whether any potential NSW Omicron cases could have been contracted by anyone on their trip to Victoria.
Sources close to the Government claim that the Victorian Government is considering increasing quarantine in certain settings and reintroducing mandates for masks.
Stuart Ayres, Minister for Jobs in NSW, announced Sunday that the government is ready to crack down on foreigners arriving in NSW.
He said, “We will take all necessary steps, even restarting quarantine when required to protect our community, and our economy.”
According to a government source, work is underway to restore hotel quarantine. However, home isolation will always be the best option unless there are severe symptoms.
In a desperate attempt to stop the mutation, WA Premier Mark McGowan shut down his state’s borders with South Australia on Saturday evening.
This ruling states that only South Australians vaccinated can enter WA. They must then immediately be quarantined for 14 days.
South Australia has tightened its border controls following the Omicron version’s emergence.
International travellers, as well as people who arrive in SA from Australia’s high-risk areas will be asked to remain in quarantine for 14 more days.
Queensland authorities stated they couldn’t guarantee that Queensland’s borders would be reopened once 80% of its population had been vaccinated in the face of the new health risk.
Steven Miles, the deputy premier of Canada, said that before any restrictions are implemented, the state will adopt a cautious approach.
He said, “As they always do,” that health officials monitor issues all over the globe and will take appropriate action if there are any implications for the country. “Nothing has changed at the moment.
On Monday Omicron case reports were made public. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk released a statement regarding the situation and promised to do all she can to ensure the safety of Queenslanders.
Twitter: “Tomorrow, I’ll be attending National Cabinet for an updated on the new Omicron variant,” she tweeted.
“The international arrivals are subject to a 14-day quarantine at the hotel. This is an important safeguard that we have here in Queensland.
Ms. Palaszczuk stated that the First Stage of the Wellcamp Quarantine Facility being constructed in the State is expected to be completed by the End of the Year.
When we have more information, I’ll update you. In the meantime, it’s the perfect time to receive the vaccine.