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Cox Plate favourite scratched ahead of today’s race
By Damien Ractliffe
Now to some breaking sports news out of Melbourne now, where Cox Plate favourite Zaaki has been ruled out of Saturday’s weight-for-age race due to an elevated temperature.
Trainer Annabel Neasham broke the news on Twitter just after 7.30am, leaving the Cox Plate field in disarray.
Zaaki at Altona Beach this week.Credit:Eddie Jim
“Absolutely devastated to report that Zaaki had been scratched from the Cox Plate due to an elevated temperature,” Neasham Racing tweeted.
“Gutted for connections and James McDonald.”
Sydney jockey McDonald had travelled to Victoria on Sunday and had been isolating for the past six days to ride the long-time Cox Plate favourite.
The TAB had paid out on Zaaki to win the race in September following his clinical Underwood Stakes win.
NSW records 333 COVID-19 cases, two deaths
By Sally Rawsthorne
New South Wales has recorded 333 new cases of coronavirus, with all but one of those cases being locally acquired.
Two people have died, while 469 people have been hospitalised across the state. Of those hospitalised, 123 are in intensive care.
NSW Health said on Saturday morning that 64,118 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours.
Saturday’s case numbers were slightly lower than the 345 new infections recorded on Friday.
NSW Health say that 92.8% of the eligible population has had one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, while 83.7% of people over 16 across the state are fully vaccinated.
As case numbers decline, GPs are keen to remind people that a booster vaccination will be required in some cases.
As Sydney’s Delta outbreak raged in August, Dr Kerry Chant encouraged the city’s residents to bring forward their second dose of the AstraZeneca shot to provide better protection against the disease.
“There will be future access to other specific vaccines which will sustain your immunity,” the Chief Health Officer said.
GPs are now urging the hundreds of thousands of people who did so to get a third booster shot as soon as they become eligible.
“Do not wait for your booster,” said NSW chair of the Royal Australian College of GPs, Dr Charlotte Hespe.
Victoria records 1750 cases, nine deaths
By Ashleigh McMillan
Victoria has recorded 1750 local cases and nine deaths on Saturday morning.
Of the 770 people in hospital with COVID-19 across the state, 144 are in ICU and 90 people are on a ventilator.
There were 39,126 people vaccinated against the virus across Friday, with more than 72,000 test results returned. Victoria now has 23,164 active cases.
More than 72 per cent of Victorians have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Man facing court after allegedly refusing to wear mask in Sydney Casino
By Sally Rawsthorne
A man who allegedly refused to wear a facemask inside The Star Casino on Friday night will face court later this year after he allegedly spat at a police officer.
Police say officers on duty inside the casino spotted a 20-year-old man allegedly wearing his face mask incorrectly in breach of the Public Health Orders.
The Star in Sydney.Credit:Louise Kennerley
“The man refused to leave the premises as directed and physically resisted attempts by police to remove him from the location,” police said in a statement on Saturday morning.
The man allegedly spat at officers as they attempted to arrest him.
Two other men became involved in the altercation, with a 19-year-old allegedly punching a police officer in the chest. All three men were arrested and taken to Surry Hills Police Station.
The 20-year-old Carramar man was charged with using offensive language in a public place, failing to leave premises when required and resisting an officer in execution of duty.
The 19-year-old man, also from Carramar, was charged with resisting a police officer in the execution of duty, assaulting a police officer in execution of duty without actual bodily harm and resist officer in execution of duty.
A third man allegedly involved in the altercation was also charged with resisting police officer in the execution of duty and using offensive language a public place.
All three men were granted conditional bail to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court in December.
More freedoms on the way for Victoria likely by next weekend
By Annika Smethurst and Marta Pascual Juanola
Newly liberated Melburnians may be granted more freedoms in less than a week, with an emotional Premier Daniel Andrews flagging a further easing of restrictions and incentives for people to return to the city once the state hits the 80 per cent double-vaccinated mark.
Setph Wood, Georgia Gogoll, Joey Gan and Jacqui Grange celebrate the end of lockdown at The Prince Public Bar in St Kilda on Friday.Credit:Eddie Jim
When the state reaches 80 per cent, Victorians will be allowed to travel between Melbourne and regional Victoria, retail will reopen and masks will no longer be required outside. The road map still encourages people to work from home.
Importantly, for those resuming life after 77 days under restrictions, Mr Andrews said Victoria’s strong vaccination rate meant there would no more state or citywide lockdowns.
“People have gone and done what we asked them to do. And now we’re delivering what we said we would do,” he said.
‘Quickly reaching decision time’: Fears QLD tourism will suffer due to prolonged border closures
By Tony Moore
Queensland stands to lose $6 billion every year international tourists are kept from the Sunshine State because of border closures and COVID-19, according to industry experts.
With higher vaccination rates in NSW and Victoria prompting those states to reopen sooner, there are fears Queensland could be left behind.
Brisbane Airport Corporation wants a firm date for international tourists to return to Brisbane – like November 1 for Sydney and Melbourne – but has only been given a target rate: 90 per cent of eligible Queenslanders vaccinated, as set out on the roadmap released this week.
“We need a return date, not a return rate,” BAC general manager of aviation Jim Parashos said, having warned of airlines looking to other markets to support tourism.
“I think we are quickly approaching the no-go or the decision time for airlines within the next week or so.”
Outside of a pandemic, up to 212,000 people arrive in Queensland each month for holidays, to meet family and friends, to accept jobs and to study, tourism figures show.
Quarantine free inbound tourism will not be allowed until Queensland’s double-jab vaccination rate reaches 90 per cent under the Queensland Government’s COVID-19 road map.
Crowd of 5500 approved for Derby Day at Flemington
By Damien Ractliffe
A fully vaccinated crowd of 5500 has been approved to attend Derby Day, the opening day of Flemington’s four-day Melbourne Cup carnival.
Under strict trial conditions, patrons will split across separate zones at Flemington with dedicated course entrances, allocated seats and seated service of food and drink. Masks will also be mandatory.
Johnny Get Angry wins the Victoria Derby in front of empty Flemington grandstands in 2020.Credit:Getty Images
The announcement comes as Victorians race towards the 80 per cent double-vaccination threshold.
Melbourne Cup Day remains capped at 10,000 on course, as do the Victoria Racing Club’s meetings on Oaks Day and Stakes Day. Victoria’s chief health officer approved the Derby Day crowds on Friday afternoon.
Victoria’s Racing Minister Martin Pakula said of the decision: “We’re testing the systems and support that will be needed for events as we open up further, and it’s great that we’re able to now bring Derby Day into these larger-scale trials.”
Racegoers will be required to prove their vaccination status either through their COVID-19 digital certificate displayed through the Service Victoria app, Medicare app, or equivalent smartphone wallet, or on presentation of a printed version of their certificate or immunisation history statement.
Melbourne, Sydney to start quarantine-free overseas travel next month
By Annika Smethurst and Anthony Galloway
More than 14 million Australians will be able to leave and re-enter the country without quarantining if they are fully vaccinated from next month as Melbourne and Sydney take the first steps towards reopening to the world and Qantas brings forward the restart of international flights.
A quarantine-free travel bubble between Australia and Singapore could be established within the next week, with an agreement between the countries in its final stages, ahead of a planned wider unlocking of the nation’s borders before Christmas.
Qantas will restart international flights from November.Credit:
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce revealed Australians could be travelling to Bali by early 2022 “at the latest” as the carrier announced it was resuming flights from Melbourne and Sydney to destinations including London, Singapore, Bangkok and Johannesburg ahead of schedule.
Singapore Airlines also started selling tickets for flights between Singapore and Melbourne on Friday evening.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Friday confirmed fully vaccinated international travellers flying to Melbourne would not have to quarantine from November 1, bringing his state into line with NSW.
Parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents will also be able to apply for an exemption to travel to Australia from that date.
Dance parties and dodging the rain: Melbourne’s first night out of lockdown
By Ashleigh McMillan and Marta Pascual Juanola
Revellers were out in full force in Melbourne last night, with the city enjoying its first flush of freedom following the end of lockdown on midnight Thursday.
Most on Collingwood’s popular Smith Street in the city’s inner north were unbothered by the heavy rain which arrived at around 9pm, with packed restaurant and bar tables simply shuffled further under awnings.
Wild scenes unfolded on Chapel Street in South Yarra, where a small crowd of people took to the streets in an impromptu dance party to celebrate. Police were spotted keeping watch on the group, comprised of a mostly young and maskless crowd.
A later post on social media said officers stepped in and broke up the celebrations after the group became unruly at around 10pm, but Victoria Police confirmed there were no reports of violence on Chapel Street.
Victoria Police are investigating an altercation in Melbourne’s CBD on Friday night, with officers told a fight broke out between two groups of men at the corner of Swanston and Little Bourke streets about 11.30pm.
A 25-year-old Reservoir man ran from the area and struck the window of a taxi on Little Bourke Street. He sustained non-life threatening injuries to his upper body and was taken to hospital.
This morning’s headlines at a glance
By Ashleigh McMillan
Good morning and thanks for joining us today.
It’s Saturday, October 23. I’m Ashleigh McMillan and I’ll be anchoring our live coverage for the first half of the day. We’ll be sure to keep you up to date on all the latest in Australia’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as any other vital breaking news.
Here’s everything you need to know before we get started.
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2021-10-22 22:12:43Z
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