In somewhat promising news for Victoria, cases dropped back into the teens with the state recording 14 new local COVID-19 cases, all linked to the current outbreak.
Yesterday the state reported this year’s highest daily figure with 26 cases.
Ten of the new overnight cases were were in quarantine throughout their entire infectious period. The remaining four cases are awaiting interview.
Testing numbers remained similar to yesterday’s, dropping only by just over 100 to 43,542.
READ MORE: Australia struggles to get lockdown under control: NSW lags, Victoria jumps, SA eyes super spreaders
More venues have been added to the list of exposure sites, mostly concentrated in Victoria’s south eastern suburbs.
The Victorian lockdown is currently scheduled to end at 11:59pm on Tuesday.
In the meantime, there were also 14,302 vaccine doses administered across state-run centres.
NSW numbers creep back up
Unfortunately for New South Wales, numbers have not subsided with Premier Gladys Berejiklian announcing 136 new local cases at this morning’s press conference.
Of those 136, 53 cases were infectious out in the community.
“There is no doubt that the numbers are not going in the direction we were hoping they would at this stage. It is fairly apparent that we will not be close to zero next Friday,” Ms Berejiklian said.
The premier thanked the nearly 87,000 people who came forward to get tested.
The situation that currently exists in New South Wales is now regarded as a nation emergency, according to NSW chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant.
“First and foremost, the local government areas of both Cumberland and Blacktown local government areas, will also be subject to workers are not being allowed to leave those communities unless the health and emergency workers were on the authorised list of workers,” Ms Berejiklian explained.
As a result of the rising cases, the premier will be approaching the federal government for a refocus of the national vaccination strategy, specifically for more Pfizer doses for Sydney.
Queensland have shut their borders to New South Wales after communities outside a locked down Greater Sydney reported cases.
SA announcements to follow soon
South Australia was faring much better, with only 12 new cases announced yesterday .
Speaking to Adelaide ABC’s on Thursday morning, South Australia’s Premier Steven Marshall said there was “no serious escalation whatsoever from the briefing this morning”.
READ MORE: Australia on track to offer every eligible person a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of 2021
TGA deems Pfizer vaccine safe for children from the age of 12
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 12 to 15.
Australia’s medical regulator said the decision was made after clinical studies were conducted and careful evaluations were made.
“The decision has been made on the basis of short term efficacy and safety data,” the TGA said in a statement.
“Continued approval depends on the evidence of longer term efficacy and safety from ongoing clinical trials.”
When the vaccine will be made available to this younger age group is still up in the air, especially as only the AstraZeneca vaccine has been made available for those aged 18-39.
Health Minister Greg Hunt told Channel 7 that conversations about the rollout for those aged 12-15 were well underway within the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).
“Our plans are in place to roll out what is more likely, on the early advice I have, is that they will fast-track vaccines for 12- to 15-year-olds for the immunocompromised children or those with underlying health conditions,” Mr Hunt said.
The government is expected to make a more solid decision regarding the rollout late next week.