Queensland biotech company Ellume Health, which just two years ago was riding high after winning a $300 million US government Covid contract, has been placed in liquidation after a takeover offer for the failed business fell through. The Australian arm of the global business entered voluntary administration last August. It subsequently emerged that it owed… Read more »
Before Australia’s recent changes to COVID testing, working out when we reached the peak of cases was, in principal, straightforward. We looked at the numbers of new daily cases, diagnosed via PCR. From there, we worked out a range of other key indicators related to COVID spread, testing and hospitalisation – each dependent on those… Read more »
Consumer data right (CDR) startup Adatree, which is powering fintechs in open banking, has built a real-time capability alert system to warn people if they’ve just bought something at a Covid-19 exposure site. As NSW opens up once again, with Victoria to follow within weeks, and politicians saying we must “leave to live” with the… Read more »
As lockdown eases today in New South Wales, and will do so in Victoria later this month, many people will begin readjusting to “normal” life. Exiting lockdown after several months can lead to a range of feelings, from excitement and relief to stress and worry. While it may seem counter-intuitive to feel anxious about returning… Read more »
Sydney-based materials technology company Xefco is launching a joint venture company to produce revolutionary face masks with the ability to kill the Covid-19 virus within minutes. Xefco developed masks coated in an ultra-thin layer of copper in a collaboration with Deakin University. Studies by the Doherty Institute found that the patent-pending technology has the ability… Read more »
South Australia has begun a trial of a new COVID app to monitor arrivals into the state. SA Premier Steven Marshall claimed “every South Australian should feel pretty proud that we are the national pilot for the home-based quarantine app”. He then doubled down with the boast that he was “pretty sure the technology that… Read more »
Lockdowns in some NSW regions outside of Sydney will be lifted on the weekend, provided they’ve had no Covid cases for 14 days. And stay-at-home orders for adults who’ve had both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine will be lifted after NSW passes the 70% vaccination target, most likely in mid October. The changes are part… Read more »
The current lockdown in Greater Sydney, which began on June 26, will now last until at least the end of September, with the NSW government adding further restrictions to the capital’s hotspots, including curfews. Masks will be mandatory when outside your home, except when exercising, everywhere in NSW from Monday, August 23 (including regional NSW… Read more »
Melbourne’s current lockdown will continue for another two weeks until at least September 2 with an evening curfew being introduced. With 22 new local Covid cases recorded – 14 infectious in the community – on Monday, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the state was at a tipping point and had no other option. Seven weeks… Read more »
Premier Gladys Berejiklian declared a statewide lockdown of NSW late on Saturday afternoon as her government scrambles to stem the state’s rising Covid spread. As Sydney enters its eighth week of lockdown, the decision, just hours after the Premier announced tougher restrictions for Sydney residents, bigger fines for breaches and more police enforcement, in response… Read more »
Sydney residents must stay within 5km of their home and fines for breaches of NSW Covid rules will increase to up to $5000, with police enforcement increased, as daily infection numbers continue to hit fresh records. NSW will up its police presence with 14,000 officers across the state now on ‘Covid duty’ to check citizens… Read more »
Melbourne’s week-long lockdown will continue for another 7 days until midnight on August 19 as infection numbers from the Delta strain remain at the levels NSW saw before its 9-week lockdown began. While regional Victoria has begun to reopen, the capital reported 20 new local cases and there are 116 active locally acquired cases, with… Read more »
On July 15, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said Sydney’s COVID lockdown wouldn’t end until the number of new cases not in full isolation was zero or as close to zero as possible. But by August 1 the premier’s message had shifted: Once you get to 50% vaccination, 60%, 70% it obviously triggers more… Read more »
Software engineer Fraser Hemphill was watching a friend who’s a nurse trying to book her vaccination when he decided to do something about it. With Sydney entering its sixth week of lockdown, Hemphill, 28, who works at Canva as an engineer, decided to build a website that lets people looking for a booking know when… Read more »
Victoria will go back into lockdown from 8pm tonight, August 5. It is the state’s sixth lockdown, just nine days after emerging from its fifth following the spread of the Delta variant from Sydney. Eight new Covid-19 cases were reported in Victoria today, including six from yesterday. Reported yesterday: 6 new local cases and no… Read more »
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