Australia news LIVE Victoria records 1115 new COVID-19 cases nine deaths as nation surpasses 90 per cent first dose vaccination rate

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Elective surgery will return to full capacity across Sydney, Nepean Blue Mountains and Illawarra Shoalhaven hospitals from next week, health officials have confirmed.

Operations including plastic surgery and joint replacements restarted in NSW from October 25, but only at 75 per cent of total capacity. The cap on overnight, non-urgent elective surgery in public and private hospitals will be lifted from next Monday.

Elective surgery will return to full capacity across Sydney, Nepean Blue Mountains and Illawarra Shoalhaven hospitals from next week.Credit:Glenn Hunt

“Overnight, non-urgent elective surgery in public and private hospitals can now be safely removed due to the very high rates of vaccination in NSW and stable levels of community transmission,” NSW Health said in a statement.

Non-urgent surgery was suspended at private hospitals in mid-August, when there were about 460 hospitalised COVID-19 cases in the state. The decision to suspend surgery at public hospitals in Greater Sydney had been made three weeks earlier.

“Patients due to receive non-urgent elective surgery impacted by changes made to facilitate the pandemic response… are being contacted and encouraged to seek medical attention should they experience a change in their condition, so they can be clinically reviewed and re-prioritised to a more urgent category if required.”

Most non-urgent elective surgery continued in regional and rural NSW, however temporary restrictions were brought in during local outbreaks, including in western and far western NSW.

“Where necessary, local health districts may impose temporary restrictions at a hospital if a local outbreak to ensure the community is kept safe and can access hospital care if required,” NSW Health said.

Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of the day’s events. If you are just joining us now, here’s what you need to know:

Australian show business icon Bert Newton has been farewelled at a state funeral at St Patrick’s Cathedral in East Melbourne this morning. You can read our separate live coverage of the service here. His daughter Lauren said in a eulogy read out by broadcaster Peter Smith: “Family always came first for Dad, and he included us in everything he did. He and mum were a team and he wanted us to be involved in everything. Saying goodbye has been heartbreaking for us all, especially Mum. They love one another so much and I know he waited until she left the room to take his last breath because while she was with him he couldn’t have gone.”

Bert Newton’s wife Patti and daughter Lauren at the show business icon’s state funeral this morning.Credit:Simon Schluter

NSW has recorded 286 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and two deaths, an unvaccinated woman in her 70s from south-western Sydney and a fully vaccinated man in his 70s from Maitland with significant underlying health conditions. There are now 236 coronavirus patients in the state’s hospitals, 34 of whom are in intensive care. Fifteen people are on ventilators.

Elective surgery will start returning to full capacity on Monday (November 15) for public and private patients in hospitals in Greater Sydney, including the Nepean Blue Mountains and Illawarra Shoalhaven, owing to high vaccination rates in the state and the relatively small number of coronavirus patients in hospital.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet earlier this week.Credit:Edwina Pickles

Meanwhile, coronavirus cases are rising in the Sydney Local Health District, which covers the centre and inner west of Sydney, and have more than doubled in a week to 38 today. Another 56 cases were reported in south-western Sydney, with a further 29 in western Sydney and 24 in south-eastern Sydney. But the Hunter New England Local Health District still accounts for the highest number of cases in any one area, with 57 new infections recorded today.

NSW Health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty has urged people to book in for their coronavirus vaccine booster shots if they received their second jab at least six months ago. He also urged people to “wear a mask where required indoors, practice physical distancing, maintain hand hygiene and always check in with the Service NSW app” to avoid the spread of the virus in indoor settings such as gyms.

Premier Daniel Andrews arrives at Bert Newton’s state funeral at St Patrick’s Cathedral.Credit:Eddie Jim

Victoria has recorded 1115 new cases of COVID-19 and nine deaths. That’s down on yesterday’s total of 1313 cases. There are now 426 coronavirus patients in Victorian hospitals, of whom 82 are in intensive care. Fifty are on ventilators. The vaccination effort continues: 85 per cent of Victorian residents aged 12 and over are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Health authorities in Victoria have detected traces of the virus in wastewater samples in four regional locations: Barwon Heads between November 7 and 10; Nhill between November 7 and 10; Stawell between October 25 and November 10; and Lorne between October 31 and November 1. While this may be the result of viral shedding by a recovered coronavirus patient, people who live, work or have visited those areas are being urged to be vigilant for symptoms and get tested immediately if they emerge.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.Credit:Chris Hyde/Getty Images

After two days of mystery, unlinked cases of COVID-19 on the Gold Coast, Queensland has reported two new coronavirus cases in home quarantine. They’re linked to a cluster in the northern NSW town of Moree. Authorities are still working to trace two mystery cases of the virus reported this week on successive days on the Gold Coast: a fully vaccinated Uber driver in his 50s from Carrara and a 32-year-old man living at Pacific Pines.

Queenslanders were allowed to take off their masks at indoor venues, including schools, cafes and hairdressers, from Wednesday afternoon after the state hit its 80 per cent first-dose vaccination milestone for people aged 16 and up. But Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk warned yesterday that new restrictions may be imposed if there is more unlinked community transmission on the Gold Coast.

Nobody is in hospital in the ACT with COVID-19.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The ACT has recorded 15 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19, as restrictions eased across the territory from 11.59pm last night. There are no people in hospital with the virus in Canberra and there have been no further deaths.

Canberra continues its nation-leading vaccination effort: 96 per cent of people aged 12 and up are now fully vaccinated against the virus. There are now no limits on visitors in homes or at informal outdoor gatherings. Dancing is once again permitted at venues, as is eating and drinking while standing up. In general, indoor venues are now permitted one person every 2 square metres. Masks are still mandatory in some high-risk settings including in aged care and hospitals, as well as on public transport.

Broede Carmody is signing off on the blog for today. Michaela Whitbourn will keep you informed of the latest news throughout the afternoon and evening.

The ACT’s daily coronavirus numbers are in.

The territory has recorded 15 new cases of COVID-19. However, there are no coronavirus patients in Canberra hospitals and there have been no additional deaths.

Today’s numbers are off the back of the more than 2600 coronavirus tests conducted across the nation’s capital yesterday.

The ACT continues to lead the nation when it comes to vaccine rates, with 96 per cent of residents aged 12 and up fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The number of COVID-19 cases reported in Sydney have more than doubled in a week, with 38 of the 286 new infections reported today in the Sydney Local Health District.

The rise in cases comes as NSW Health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty urged people to book boosters as the state hits a double-dose vaccination rate of more than 90 percent.

“Now we have reached more than 90 per cent of people with two doses, it’s important we focus on the booster program. People aged over 18 can now receive a Pfizer vaccine as a booster if it’s been six months or more since your second dose,” he said.

The majority of cases were reported in the Hunter New England area, with 16 cases recorded in the Mid Coast, 13 in Moree and 12 in Inverell.

There were 56 cases reported in the city’s south-west, 29 in western Sydney, 24 in south-eastern Sydney, 14 in the Mid North Coast, 13 in southern NSW and 12 cases in Murrumbidgee.

Two new COVID-19 deaths were reported, including an unvaccinated woman in her 70s from south-western Sydney who died at Liverpool Hospital and a man in his 70s who died at Maitland Hospital. He had significant underlying health conditions and was vaccinated.

Dr McAnulty said 236 people with COVID-19 are admitted to hospital in NSW, with 34 people in ICU and 15 are ventilated.

While risk of severe disease and infection is much higher in unvaccinated people, he said, the virus can “spread among unvaccinated people indoors, such as in gyms and bars”.

“So please wear a mask where required indoors, practice physical distancing, maintain hand hygiene and always check in with the Service NSW app.”

Rockpool Bar and Grill at Melbourne’s Crown complex has been forced to close after a COVID-positive employee worked at the restaurant on Friday and Sunday last week.

Customers who dined at the venue between 5.45pm and 12.45am on both of those days have been contacted by the Department of Health.

In a statement released online, the restaurant said it was hoping to reopen its doors at the end of the week.

“All reservations during this time will be automatically cancelled. Guests who would like to reschedule can do so online,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, health authorities have detected traces of coronavirus in wastewater samples from four regional locations in Victoria’s west.

The particles were found in:

Barwon Heads between November 7 and 10;

Nhill between November 7 and 10;

Stawell between October 25 and November 10; and

Lorne between October 31 and November 10.

The detections could signal an undiscovered COVID-19 case or be the result of viral shedding by a recovered patient.

Anyone who lives, works or has visited the areas above should watch out for even mild symptoms of COVID-19 and get tested as soon as symptoms develop.

For more information on wastewater testing, go to the Victorian government’s wastewater testing page.

The federal Labor Party has remained tight-lipped about its specific climate policies ahead of the upcoming federal election, with leader Anthony Albanese refusing to reveal his plan until the modelling that guided the Government’s policy is released.

Mr Albanese said the party would not announce its plan until after the COP26 wrapped up and its final communique is released. However, he ruled out signing Australia to the conference’s pledges to reduce methane emissions and phase out the use of coal.

“We’ll have more to say, we need to see, of course, the government modelling. You need to see the Government’s budget before you have a budget reply,” he told ABC Radio Melbourne this morning.

Mr Albanese rejected claims Labor was late to the game, saying the party had released its plan to legislate net-zero by 2050 two years ago.

“It’s one of the first commitments I made as leader of the Labor Party. Scott Morrison was dragged kicking and screaming into it.”

The Opposition Leader added that the Prime Minister had a track record of ridiculing climate policy and had no credibility “because he doesn’t believe in it and his government are incapable of acting”.

Climate change is shaping up to become a major issue at the next federal election, alongside economic policy in the post-COVID-19 world.

Queensland has reported two new COVID-19 cases in home quarantine linked to a cluster stemming from the NSW town of Moree.

It comes as authorities work to trace a series of previously reported and unlinked cases on the Gold Coast.

Acting Queensland Chief Health Officer Peter Aitken told reporters the two cases are in two young girls â€" one under 10 and a teen â€" linked to the cross-border cluster. They had already been identified as close contacts and placed in isolation.

After two unlinked cases of the virus on the Gold Coast in two days this week, Dr Aitken said authorities had determined the pair were linked to each other but were still working to determine how.

“We’re still uncertain at the moment as to how they acquired COVID, we also know that the genomic sequence is identical,” he said.

Dr Aitken added that there would not be any new restrictions introduced yet, but authorities were concerned with schoolies celebrations approaching.

Two cases were also detected in hotel quarantine, from recent overseas arrivals from PNG.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state is expecting to reach a 70 per cent double-dose vaccine milestone on Sunday or Monday, after which she would announce a reopening of home quarantine for returning and relocating residents.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has just finished providing a coronavirus update.

We’ll have the playback version with you shortly.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the Commonwealth will not step in to prevent the Andrews government’s controversial pandemic laws from being passed in state Parliament.

During an interview on 3AW this morning, Mr Morrison would not comment on whether he believed the bill was undemocratic, saying it was a matter for the Victorian Parliament.

However, he said it was time governments stopped telling people what to do.

“At a time when everyone is opening up and moving ahead I can understand the frustration where governments are seeking to have more involvement in [people’s] lives,” he said.

“In the federal government we are going in the opposite direction.”

Mr Morrison said his role was not to give lectures to other states, but the national plan had been put in place to allow states to safely open up.

“Frankly, I think we should be getting on with it and not put more controls on people’s lives.”

As mentioned earlier, Bert Newton’s state funeral is being held at Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral this morning.

The service has begun.

Around 500 family and friends are in attendance. However, the service is being livestreamed for people around the country.

You can watch the service via our dedicated live blog. Father Werner Utri, the dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, is opening today’s proceedings.

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews will speak on behalf of the people of Victoria, and Eddie McGuire will share some personal words of remembrance.

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