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“This is stranger to stranger transmission”: Aus authorities concerned about ‘fleeting’ Indian covid-19 variant

Published

5 years ago

June 1, 2021

Australia’s second-largest state, Victoria remains in lockdown today as authorities express concern about how easily the Indian COVID-19 strain is transmitting from ‘fleeting’ encounters.

Authorities have raised alarms to this particular Melbourne outbreak, as the Indian variant of COVID is proving to transmit between complete strangers with little contact. Examples include brushing past each other in a small shop, and walking past each other in display home.

This has sparked a surge in exposure sites, alerted across the south-eastern state in Australia.

“We think it is a feature of the Indian variant which is that much more contagious,” Deputy Secretary at Department for Health and Human Services, Jeroen Weimar said.

“This is stranger to stranger transmission.”

Weimar said they have seen transmission in these places with very fleeting contact.

“They are all examples of transmission with very limited contact. With previous variants, we are more used to transmission occurring in the home, in the workplace, where people know each other already, not at all of those big social settings. These are quite different.”

The stay-at-home orders are supposed to be part of a seven-day “snap lockdown”, but there are fears that this will be extended due to a number of new “mystery cases”.

Three new local cases of COVID-19 were recorded on Tuesday, on top of six cases announced Monday.

Of the 4,800 primary close contacts 75 per cent have returned negative test results.

‘Five-day blitz’ to help boost vaccination numbers

Private aged care residents and staff those in residential disability settings will now be given priority to get the vaccine at Victoria’s state-run walk-in vaccine hubs.

“The Commonwealth made it clear that originally, under the phase 1a/1b schedule, this was a sector that they were going to look after,” Health Minister Martin Foley said.

“A few weeks ago they asked all the states to assist in that process, and today we’re starting a significant contribution, but that will come out of Victorian state allocations of vaccine to target this very high risk group.”

Will Australia’s most populous state have its lockdown extended?

Epidemiologist Professor Mary Louise McLaws says she doesn’t believe the state will be back to normal by Friday.

She told the ABC that Victoria has “a very high, very rapid increase of cases over a short period of time,”

Despite the lockdown costing around $1 billion a week, she says “it certainly has to go for 14 days”.

Business slams government support package

Melbourne is dubbed as the world’s most liveable city, but businesses and their employees are calling for better support.

A $250 million dollar support package for struggling Melbourne businesses has been labeled as ’embarrassing by industry leaders.

Meanwhile, James Wheelan from the VHS Group says the Victorian government has acted poorly by locking down the entire state.

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NASA’s Artemis II launch: Argentina joins first crewed moon mission in 50 years

NASA’s Artemis II rocket is ready for its first crewed Moon mission in over 50 years, featuring Argentina’s ATENEA microsatellite.

Published

14 hours ago

January 19, 2026

Harvey Vargas

NASA’s Artemis II rocket is ready for its first crewed Moon mission in over 50 years, featuring Argentina’s ATENEA microsatellite.

NASA’s Artemis II rocket has arrived at Kennedy Space Center, marking the first crewed Moon mission in more than five decades.

The mission will carry a crew of four astronauts on a ten-day journey around the Moon, with a wet dress rehearsal scheduled for February 2 to test all systems.

In a historic moment for Latin America, Argentina’s ATENEA microsatellite will join the Artemis II mission as secondary cargo. Developed through a collaboration of Argentine institutions, ATENEA will collect crucial data on radiation and communications systems in space, making Argentina the only Latin American country contributing to this milestone mission.

The Artemis II mission will also validate life support and spacecraft systems ahead of Artemis III, NASA’s planned crewed lunar landing in 2027. With the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft now on Launch Pad 39B, excitement is building for this next giant leap in space exploration.

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#ArtemisII #MoonMission #NASA #ATENEA #SpaceExploration #ArgentinaInSpace #SLSRocket #OrionSpacecraft

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Iran warns U.S. retaliation as protest death toll soars — executions feared, nationwide unrest

Iran warns of severe retaliation against U.S. strikes, amid escalating tensions and internal unrest.

Published

15 hours ago

January 19, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Iran warns of severe retaliation against U.S. strikes, amid escalating tensions and internal unrest.

Iran has issued a stark warning of a severe response to any U.S. military strike, with leaders stressing that military action would be treated as an act of war.

President Masoud Pezeshkian cautioned that attacks on strategic sites or leadership figures could trigger retaliation against U.S. and allied forces in the region — including potential targets in Israel and American bases. These warnings come as tensions between Tehran and Washington escalate amid sustained unrest across Iran.

The backdrop for this diplomatic brinkmanship is a bitter standoff between Tehran and the U.S., with U.S. President Donald Trump publicly debating options for intervention and criticising Iran’s leadership.

Tehran, for its part, has blamed external forces for stoking internal dissent and insists it will fiercely defend its sovereignty.

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#IranProtests #IranUSConflict #MiddleEastTensions #HumanRights #IranDeathToll #ProtestCrackdown #GlobalNews

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EU condemns Trump’s Greenland tariff threats: Trade tensions escalate

Major EU nations criticize Trump’s Greenland tariffs as “blackmail,” risking trade agreements and raising tensions across the Atlantic.

Published

15 hours ago

January 19, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Major EU nations criticize Trump’s Greenland tariffs as “blackmail,” risking trade agreements and raising tensions across the Atlantic.

Major EU nations are pushing back against President Trump’s tariff threats over Greenland, calling them “blackmail” and raising tensions across the Atlantic. Germany and France are reportedly considering economic countermeasures to respond to the U.S. stance.

Trade agreements with the UK and the EU could be at risk, as these threats put key negotiations in jeopardy. The European Parliament is also expected to pause discussions on the EU-U.S. trade deal, signaling a growing rift.

Meanwhile, British officials insist their position on Greenland is non-negotiable, adding complexity to an already tense situation.

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#TrumpTariffs #Greenland #EUTensions #TradeWars #USPolitics #GlobalEconomy #EUTrade #NationalSecurity