Frustration is growing across Australia as more than half of the population suffers through further lockdowns to curb the growing Covid-19 outbreaks
Police officers patrol the Valley Mall in Brisbane on March 29, 2021 as more than two million people in the city entered a three-day lockdown after a cluster of coronavirus cases was detected in Australia’s third-biggest city. (Photo by Patrick HAMILTON / AFP)
18 months into the lockdown, many are questioning why they are subjected to tough stay-at-home orders, as countries like England and the US open up.
Less than 14 percent of the entire population is vaccinated – which is the worst rating out of the OECD nations
It comes as Prime Minister, Scott Morrison acknowledges the nation’s struggles but refuses to apologise.
AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER SCOTT MORRISON
He says “no country has got their pandemic response 100%” and spoke of the nation’s low overall infection rates compared to many other countries.
915 people have died as a result of Covid-19 in Australia since the pandemic began.
Border closures, hotel quarantine programmes and lockdowns have all helped keep case numbers low in the past, but the increased prevalence of the Delta strain has authorities concerned.
‘This is a dangerous time’ – three Australian states in lockdown
Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia all remain subject to strict stay-at-home orders today as residents wait to see if all of their hard work is paying off.
“This is a dangerous time,” Mr Marshall said.
“I’m 100 per cent convinced that South Australians will rise to the challenge, will make sure they can abide by these new restrictions, and make sure we get through this in as short a time as possible.”
Victoria is currently in an extended lockdown, reporting its highest number of locally acquired covid cases to date this year on Thursday morning.
“As promising as our progress has been avoiding a New South Wales-style long, lengthy, very challenging lockdown, where you just lose control of cases, we’ve avoided that, but we need more time,” Premier Daniel Andrews said on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, NSW is in the midst of a 5-week lockdown.
Where did it all begin?
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant confirmed on Thursday that the Sydney driver who tested positive for COVID-19 had the Delta variant.
According to the ABC, while the recent COVID-19 outbreak in Victoria also involved the Delta variant, that outbreak was linked to a different source of infection.
The Delta variant was first detected in India in October last year.
UK authorities have estimated the Delta variant is 40 per cent more infectious than the Alpha variant that sent Britain into lockdown at the start of the year.
William is an Executive News Producer at TICKER NEWS, responsible for the production and direction of news bulletins. William is also the presenter of the hourly Weather + Climate segment.
With qualifications in Journalism and Law (LLB), William previously worked at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) before moving to TICKER NEWS. He was also an intern at the Seven Network's 'Sunrise'.
A creative-minded individual, William has a passion for broadcast journalism and reporting on global politics and international affairs.
In Short:
– Trump announced a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas and a $1 million residency gold card to boost American hiring.
– Critics argue increased fees may limit smaller firms’ access to foreign talent, impacting U.S. tech innovation.
President Trump announced significant changes to the U.S. immigration system, introducing a new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas and a $1 million “gold card” for residency.
The move aims to increase revenue and promote the hiring of American workers, claiming that many tech companies exploit the current system.The fee increase targets H-1B visa applications, which traditionally have low entry costs.
Trump stated the initiative aims to bring in highly skilled individuals rather than those crossing the borders illegally. A gold card requiring a $1 million payment will expedite visa processing, with a reduced availability compared to existing green card categories.
The new programme could alter the competitive landscape for U.S. tech companies, which historically depend on H-1B visas to access foreign talent.
Critics warn that the increased fees may deter smaller firms from utilising these visas, potentially hindering U.S. progress in tech sectors like artificial intelligence.
Visa Impact
Debate persists within Trump’s administration regarding the new policy’s implications. Supporters argue it protects American jobs, while opponents contend it restricts access to global talent crucial for innovation.
The H-1B visa programme, established in 1990, remains vital for skilled foreign workers seeking residency in the U.S., yet faces growing scrutiny.
In Short:
– A fourth death is confirmed due to an Optus network failure affecting emergency calls for 13 hours.
– Optus CEO announced an investigation after communication failures and criticism from politicians and emergency services.
A fourth death has been confirmed following an Optus network failure that prevented emergency calls to Triple Zero for 13 hours.
Initially, Optus reported three fatalities, including an infant and two elderly individuals from South Australia and Western Australia. The latest victim is a 49-year-old man from Perth.Optus CEO Stephen Rue expressed deep sorrow over the incident and announced a full investigation into the network update that caused the outage.
He stated that approximately 600 calls to emergency services were disrupted, impacting residents across South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.
Rue confirmed that the outage stemmed from a problematic firewall upgrade and revealed details of communication failures within the company. Politicians and emergency services expressed anger at the lack of timely information during the crisis.
System Failure
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas criticised Optus for their incompetence in handling the situation.
The federal communications minister also condemned the company, highlighting that such failures are unacceptable.
The incident follows a previous outage for which Optus was fined $12 million, raising serious concerns about their emergency service handling.
Israel’s new “Iron Beam” laser defense system to deploy by year-end, promising cost-effective missile interception.
Israel’s Defence Ministry says its new “Iron Beam” laser system will be deployed by year’s end. The technology is designed to destroy incoming missiles, rockets, drones and mortars with precision.
Developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in partnership with Elbit Systems, Iron Beam will sit alongside existing defences such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow. Unlike traditional interceptors which can cost tens of thousands of dollars per shot, the laser comes at negligible expense.
Officials call it the world’s first high-power laser interception system to achieve operational maturity, hailing it as a game-changer for modern warfare. Military leaders expect the system to reshape air defence capabilities and cut costs dramatically.