Weekly COVID news at a glance

(AUS) Quarantine changes

Victoria has begun to change its quarantine requirements for both confirmed positive cases and international arrivals. Fully vaccinated travellers and aircrew can now quarantine at home when they arrive in Victoria.

COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria Commissioner Emma Cassar has confirmed hotel quarantine will be wound back in coming weeks, as the state adjusts to living with COVID. Almost all remaining coronavirus restrictions for Victoria lifted just before midnight last Friday, including changes to self-quarantine requirements for positive cases and close contacts.

The quarantine period for confirmed cases will drop from 14 days to ten days, and close contacts not in the same household as a confirmed case, will only have to isolate until they receive a negative test result. Household contacts will have to isolate for seven days if fully vaccinated or 14 days if not vaccinated.

(AUS) Risks even after being vaccinated

Vaccines are the best form of protection against the virus, but fully vaccinated people can still contract COVID.

If two people who are fully vaccinated meet up however, they effectively have three layers of vaccine protection. Firstly, they are both are far less likely to bring the virus to the meeting and secondly, if either person is infected but vaccinated, they are less likely to pass on the virus than an unvaccinated person would be.

Thirdly, the uninfected person will have protection from the infected because they are also vaccinated. Studies from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute show the AstraZeneca vaccine offers between 60 and 67 per cent effectiveness against infection, Pfizer is 90 per cent and Moderna, 95 per cent. Research also shows that handwashing and mask wearing can reduce risks even further. 

(AUS) Visa holders welcomed back

Australia’s international borders will be reopened to eligible visa holders from 1 December after being locked out for almost two years due to the pandemic. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Monday a range of fully-vaccinated visa holders will no longer be required to secure an exemption to travel into the country. 

Those eligible for the rule change will include skilled migrants, international students, humanitarian as well as working holiday maker and provisional family visa holders. The federal government has estimated 200,000 migrants holding these visas are expected to take up the offer between December and January. 

(Worldwide) Austria COVID-19 vaccines mandatory

The Austrian government has recently announced it will make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory from 1 February, becoming the first EU country to do so. But it remains unclear what penalties will be in place for those who flout the mandatory policy.

The strict measures come after COVID-19 cases skyrocketed in Austria, with the country seeing a fourth wave of infections. Days after Austria imposed a lockdown on the unvaccinated, it announced a full national COVID-19 lockdown starting on Monday. The restrictions will be in force for 20 days.

(Worldwide) More Asian countries welcome vaccinated

As Asian countries are learning to live with the coronavirus — with the notable exception of China — and gaining momentum in their vaccination campaigns, several are cautiously reopening their borders and welcoming travelers.

While some Asian nations vaccinated the majority of their populations months ago, they are only now reopening to international travel — just before the winter holidays. On Monday, Singapore said it would allow back in travelers from five more countries, including India and Indonesia, starting later in the month.

(Worldwide) U.S. expands COVID-19 booster

U.S. regulators expanded eligibility for booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines to all adults on Friday, allowing millions more Americans to get additional protection against the virus amid a recent rise in infections.

The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Rochelle Walensky, signed off on the expanded eligibility on Friday evening after the U.S. FDA broadened its authorization of booster doses to all adults who had received their second shot of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at least six months prior. According to an agency spokesperson, the CDC stopped short of saying all adults should get a booster.