Author: allisonnorthover

Parents throughout Melbourne sigh of relief when 11th and 12th grade primary school and Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) students return to the classroom almost 10 weeks later.

8th grade and special school students will also resume on-site learning on Monday. Grade 10 students enrolled in the VCE or Victorian Applied Learning Certificate (VCAL) program can attend these classes onsite.

Students aged 8 to 10 will return home in two weeks.

The state of emergency and disaster conditions in Victoria have been extended to 11:59 pm on November 8, and Prime Minister Daniel Andrews is considering deregulation.

Victoria recorded 12 new cases in the 24 hours to Sunday morning for four consecutive days of double-digit infections.

One death was also recorded, and the three-day stretch ended without death, bringing the state to 810 casualties.

Melbourne’s 14-day rolling case average dropped slightly to 9.3, with regional figures at 0.4.

As of Thursday, there were 10 cases of unknown origin for 14 days.

Authorities wanted to reduce the average two-week rolling daily case to five and reduce the number of mystery cases to less than five in order to ease the city’s blockade for the Victoria region.

However, Andrews reiterated that Melbourne was not ready to take a “perfect step” to ease restrictions on October 19, but restrictions on outdoor activities could be relaxed. Suggested high.

“People will really be missing,” he said.

He also pointed out that Victorian companies are more likely to receive bailouts than Melbourne companies.

“Because of the small number, I think there is more economic potential in Victoria,” he said.

“Does that mean doubling, trebling, or quadrupling the number of people who can go to the pub? No.

“But if we could take smaller and safer steps, we would.”

His government has also announced new quarantine and business security measures.

Intimate contacts who refused the COVID-19 test on the 11th day of quarantine are forced to spend another 10 days in quarantine, but Victoria’s regional companies say that patrons aren’t coming from Melbourne. All reasonable steps must be taken to avoid facing a $ 9913 fine.

It was after a Melbourne man ate illegally at a cafe in Kilmore, causing a new outbreak at Mitchell Shire.

Both rule changes took effect on Sunday at 11:59 pm.

Australians must be at least 1.5 meters away from others. Check the jurisdiction limits for collecting limits.

If you have a cold or flu symptoms, stay home and call your doctor to arrange a test or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline (1800 020 080). News and information is available in 63 languages ​​at https://sbs.com.au/.Coronavirus

Check the guidelines relevant to your state or territory: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, ACT, Tasmania

Jeanne Arona came to Sydney from the Philippines 6 years ago.

At the age of 25, she had many choices when thinking about where to start her nursing studies, but Australia was at the top of the list.

“Given the health care system we have, the support people provide in this country, and the level of education they provide, I believe there are many opportunities for registered nurses in this country. “She told SBS News.

She earned a degree from the University of Technology Sydney in 2016, but finding a job has never been so easy, despite the country’s desire for registered nurses.

“International students are considering your visa, so the opportunities are so limited that it’s hard to get into the country,” she said.

She currently has a four-year sponsored visa at Marion’s united geriatric care facility and wants to stay in the country forever.

Priority skills

As the federal government recognizes registered nurses as one profession that cannot be filled in the country, it gives priority status to overseas applicants and allows for prompt temporary visas and travel exemptions.

It is one of 17 professions added to the list of professions with priority transition skills in September, CEO and Managing Director, Construction Project Manager, Mechanical Engineer, Physician, Psychiatrist, IT Specialist. The house is also included.

The expanded list is welcomed by some of the business community eager to see the economy recover after COVID-19.

Innes Willox, CEO of the Australian Industry Group, said: “This needs to be a skill-driven recovery, and there are millions of people around the world who have the skills they need in Australia.”

If you have a certain skilled visa, you will be able to obtain permanent residence later.

However, former Immigration Deputy Secretary Able Lizbi said that while theoretically good, it’s not really that great in a pandemic.

“Given the caps on arrivals from abroad, the COVID-19 issue, and the movement of international people, it is inevitable that these positions will have to be filled by people already in Australia,” he said. It was.

Border closed

The federal government expects two-thirds of permanent visas for this fiscal year to be given to people already in Australia on temporary visas, and a shortage of new immigrants will hurt the country’s bottom line. I will.

“This is undoubtedly the impact of the earthquake on the economy over the next few years,” said Jarodball, chief economist at the Australian Center for Economic Development.

According to the federal budget, Australia’s population is one million less than expected, and this year’s population growth will drop from 1.6% to just 0.2%.

Pure foreign migrants are projected to fall into the negative territory for the first time since World War II and return to positive levels from 2022 to 23.

But that’s a prediction that some people are skeptical about.

“The prediction from where I’m sitting now looks very optimistic,” Lizbi said. “I think the government needs to revisit that number in the future.”

The government is sticking to the annual travel cap of 160,000 locations per year, even though 140,366 locations were filled in 2019-20 and have not reached the cap. The transition for 2018-19 totaled 160,323.

Willox said the reality is that migrant numbers will return to pre-pandemic levels and the Australian border needs to be reopened.

“We have closed our borders and Australia has been cut off from the world, but obviously people don’t want to come here, or they won’t be able to come here. This is the key, but we need to open it as soon as possible. There is. “

“Transition is the lifeline of our business and that’s why we need to move as quickly as possible.”

However, economists say Australia also needs to be positioned as an attractive destination for skilled workers through welfare assistance.

“It’s not too late to provide any support to temporary migrants who bring great net financial benefits to the federal budget at good times, and those good times have been going on for the past 30 years,” Ball said. Said.

“Given the long record of contributions to the federal budget, I think it’s important to give back.”

As for Jeanne, she wants to stay in Australia for a long time. She says it’s a job she loves, but not for everyone.

“It’s not about what nationality you belong to, but whether you’re actually built for the job,” she said.

“If you like the job, if your heart is in the job, you will go for it.”

The federal government has come up with plans to bring Australians back to work, but there is still no answer as to how much financial support they will provide to those who cannot find a job beyond the end of the year.

The unemployment welfare payment, known as JobSeeker, was increased every other week with a $ 500 coronavirus supplement during a pandemic.

It has now been reduced to $ 250 and will stay there until December, with the government hesitating to outline what will happen after that.

Business and welfare groups are calling for a permanent and appropriate increase in JobSeeker.

Treasury Secretary Josh Frydenberg said it depends on what happens in the coming months.

“The exact percentage has not yet been determined and will be near the end of the year,” Frydenberg said. insider..

“We want to see where the economic outlook is.

“We want to see if the restrictions have been lifted, if there is another wave of cases, and where the dynamics of the labor market are.”

The Treasury predicts that the unemployment rate will reach 8% in the December quarter and will not drop to 6.5% until the June 2022 quarter.

Some companies can’t survive

JobKeeper’s wage subsidy ended in March 2021, and finance officials said they expected the new measures outlined in the budget to provide adequate long-term support.

However, he admitted that not all businesses supported by JobKeeper survive.

“The Treasury does not calculate the number of businesses created or closed,” Frydenberg said.

“Some businesses will not survive and some jobs will be lost.

“There is a business that can be folded, and it’s definitely. You can’t save every business, you can’t save every job.”

Support for women and young people

Frydenberg defended the federal budget, which shed light on supporting women-dominated industries.

A central part of Tuesday night’s budget was the $ 4 billion JobMaker Hiring Credit scheme. It states that the government will encourage companies to hire young workers.

Under this plan, employers hiring new employees between the ages of 16 and 29 who are welfare will receive $ 200 a week to help pay their wages.

They receive $ 100 a week for each new qualified employee between the ages of 30 and 35.

Some argue that the policy keeps older women out of the coveted support, but the treasurer again defended the plan.

“The reason we went to the 16-35 cohort is because if you look at the unemployment rate of 15-34 people now, it’s about 10 percent,” said Josh Frydenberg.

“The unemployment rate for people between the ages of 35 and 44 is 4.9 percent.”

Frydenberg claimed that the previous recession took time for young people to find a job.

“In the 1990s, it took 10 years to reduce the unemployment rate to less than 6% from the start, but it took an amazing 15 years to bring the number of youth jobs down from the start. That’s the first thing that comes to mind, “he said.

In August, the female labor force participation rate fell to 60% and the male participation rate dropped to 69.7%.

– ABC

Buses are replacing trains between Sutherland and Waterfall on the T4 Eastern Suburbs Line and the Illawarra and South Coast Lines because the fire is near the railroad tracks and is causing a “danger”.

“It is recommended that passengers have sufficient travel time, listen to announcements and check the information display,” a spokeswoman said.

Greg Alan, a spokesman for the New South Wales Rural Fire Department, said there was no threat to the property at any stage, but there was a lot of smoke in the areas that affected visibility.

According to Alan, the ground crew was assisted by four hydrogen bomb helicopters and a 737 aerial firefighter named Marie Basil. Marie Basir dropped two rows of flame retardants to stop the truck’s flames. This is the first time the 737 has been used during this fire season.

Due to the large amount of vegetation in this area, a specialized fire team in a remote area will be assigned to the fire department tomorrow. Further lines of flame retardants are also expected to be dropped.

Alan said early Saturday evening, 60 fire trucks, three aircraft and 17 fire trucks were on fire and remained active all night.

“It just shows that a fire can start at any time,” Alain said. “It’s important to have a wildfire survival plan and discuss it.

“Take the time to prepare your property on weekends, tomorrow, or today. Clean the gutters, remove the overhanging branches, and remove the debris.”

NSW recorded two new locally acquired cases of COVID-19, including a nurse who tested positive after working at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney during the infection.

According to Health, New South Wales, casual nurses had one infectious night shift on Wednesday.

“Nurses provided professional care to one patient and had limited contact with a very small number of colleagues,” he said in a statement on Saturday after issuing a public warning about the incident overnight. It was.

Dr. Michael Douglas of Health, New South Wales, said nurses are believed to have acquired the coronavirus outside the hospital, and the second local case was associated with nurses.

During the reporting period until 8:00 pm on Friday, there was one case acquired overseas. It is a crew member arriving at Newcastle Harbor from Brisbane on a ship carrying international seafarers.

“This case is being treated at John Hunter Hospital,” said Dr. Douglas.

“All other crew members are considered close contacts and will remain on board for quarantine and surveillance.

“It is important to note that this incident does not pose a COVID-19 risk to the people of Newcastle.”

Meanwhile, oral jousting between state governments over the closure of the border between New South Wales and Queensland continues.

New South Wales Prime Minister Gladys Beregicrian and Health Minister Brad Hazzard have criticized Queensland’s 28-day “border clock” for inducing free passage between states.

On Saturday, Queensland Health Minister Stephen Miles defended his government policy.

“Yesterday, the Prime Minister of New South Wales expressed disappointment with my statement that he had given up his efforts to achieve 28 days of unlinked community communication,” he told reporters. ..

“Frankly, when she said it couldn’t be achieved, when she said it wasn’t possible, I interpreted it as meaning they weren’t aiming for it.”

The number of tests conducted at NSW has increased to 15,439 over the last 24-hour reporting period, but from 12,868 over the last 24 hours, NSW Health is concerned about a recent decline in tests.

We repeated the call to test for the mildest symptoms, such as runny nose, itchy throat, cough, fever, and other COVID-19 symptoms.

NSW Health treats 56 patients, including one in an intensive care unit that does not require ventilation.

Eighty-four percent of cases treated by NSW Health receive non-acute out-of-hospital treatment.

In the latest proceedings, NSW totaled 4084 and the death toll remains 55.

Australians must be at least 1.5 meters away from others. Check the jurisdiction limits for collecting limits.

If you have a cold or flu symptoms, stay home and call your doctor to arrange a test or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline (1800 020 080). News and information is available in 63 languages ​​at https://sbs.com.au/. Coronavirus.

Check the guidelines relevant to your state or territory: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, ACT, Tasmania

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Contact tracing is underway and the source of the infection is under investigation, but Tracer believes the woman was infected by the virus from someone outside the hospital.

Nurses are included in NSW’s daily COVID case numbers today.

NSW Health also advised that anyone attending the following venues should be considered casual contact and should be monitored for symptoms and tested immediately if symptoms occur.

• Westfield Parramatta, October 6th, noon to 12:15 pm
• Westfield Parramatta October 7th and 12th until 12:30 pm, 4:30 pm to 5 pm.

On Friday, NSW Health reported five new locally-acquired cases, all related to known sources.

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Palm Beach Fish & Chips from 3:45 pm to 4 pm on October 5th, S-Mart Eastwood from 7:30 pm to 7:45 pm on October 5th, AM on October 6th Anyone who has been to Ardi Eastwood from 11am to 12pm was considered a casual contact.

According to a NSW Health spokesman, casual contacts should monitor their symptoms and be tested even if they have the mildest symptoms.

In a positive case, we also visited the Potts Point monopole restaurant between 6 pm and 8 pm on Sunday, October 4th.

While NSW Health was contacting staff and patrons believed to be closely related, a health spokesperson said that anyone at the venue at the time should monitor their symptoms.

Those who get on the next train or bus should monitor their symptoms.

• Arrived by train from Parramatta at 14:41 on October 4th at 15:31 City Hall
• Arrived at King’s Cross 17:50 on October 4th by train from City Hall at 17:29
• By train from Artarmon at 23:18, we will arrive at Central 23:48 on October 4.
• Bus exchange arrives at Strathfield 00:15 on October 5th at 23:48 from Central
• Train from Strassfield at 00:15 arriving at Parramatta 00:45 on October 5th
• Bus 550 from Epping Station, Beecroft Street, Stand D to Smith Street at 17:08 after Parramatta and Philippe Street at 17:41 on October 6th.
• Arrive at Liverpool 07:09 on October 6th by train from Mosbert 04:52
• Arrive at Mosvale 19:12 on October 6 by train from Liverpool 16:58
• Arrive at Liverpool 07:08 on October 7th by train from Mosbert 04:51
• Arrive at Mosvale 15:50 by train from Campbeltown 13:31 on October 7th

Health officials are calling for an urgent review of the management of the Northern Territory’s compulsory quarantine system after a video of a dance party at a Darwin facility was released online.

In the video posted on TikTok, a large number of people gathered during the dance party accommodation, and some did not wear face masks.

This video is believed to have been shot at the Howard Springs Quarantine Facility in Darwin.

Robert Parker, chairman of the Northern Territory branch of the Australian Medical Association, told SBS News that the video raised serious concerns and likened it to a hotel quarantine breach in Melbourne.

“Everything is that the COVID-19 bug is isolated to prevent it from spreading to other individuals, but if you are interacting with others, that’s what you can do.” He said.

“I was lucky in the Northern Territory because there was no significant community infection and I was far from the hotspots in Sydney and Melbourne, so I think it’s just a view of the problem and a tolerance for not I’m not allowed to go south. ”

In the Northern Territory, there are no active cases of COVID-19 and the community has not been infected for months.

Residents traveling to the Northern Territory from certain hotspot areas such as Metropolitan Melbourne require less than 14 days of quarantine.

Starting Friday, the territory lifted the Great Sydney Coronavirus Hotspot Declaration. This means that Sydney Cider can travel freely again without first quarantining it.

Charles Payne, Deputy Chief Health Officer on Thursday, said the decision was “carefully considered” given that the current outbreak of COVID-19 cases in Sydney was “contained.”

However, Dr. Payne urged Territrian to remain vigilant about social distances and other measures to keep COVID-19 away, and added that he wanted to increase the number of people wearing masks.

Dr. Parker said he “endangers everything” about what he did in the video and what could be a breach in the quarantine system.

“Ultimately, it can lead to community infections in the Northern Territory, especially in indigenous communities where mortality can be very high,” he said.

He called for an urgent review of the management of the quarantine facility and its standards.

“Quarantine is quarantine and boring, but the point is to protect the community from viruses, and obviously the quarantine standards are not the level needed to provide that protection,” Dr. Parker said. It was.

SBS News contacted the NT government but did not comment.

Australians must be at least 1.5 meters away from others. Check the jurisdiction limits for collecting limits.

If you have a cold or flu symptoms, stay home and call your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline (1800 020 080) to arrange a test. News and information is available in 63 languages ​​from sbs.com.au/coronavirus.

Check out guidelines related to states or territories such as New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, ACT, Tasmania.

Four teenagers, including a 13-year-old girl, led police to track down a stolen Mercedes during peak traffic in northwestern Sydney.

The white Mercedes, reportedly missing, was discovered by police on Friday at 9:30 am on Victoria Road in Mintons.

NSW police tracked the car, but said, ” [Mercedes’] Dangerous driving method “.

PolAir continued to track the vehicle before it stopped at the intersection of Victoria and Lions Road in Dramone.

Appeals for national disability insurance decisions have skyrocketed by more than 700% since 2016, as the government admits that part of the process is “complex, costly and inconsistent.”

The Executive Branch Court of Appeals, which considers federal decisions, received 1,780 NDIS-related appeals in 2019-20. This is an increase of approximately 727 percent compared to 215 NDIS-related appeals in 2016-17.

NDIS creates a personalized plan to provide funding and assistance to people with disabilities.

NDIS decisions that can be appealed in court include a decision to see if someone meets funding criteria and not to consider a participant’s plan.

NDIS Minister Stuart Robert was asked about a huge number of appeals and said that not everyone who had previously applied for access to the system was completely satisfied with their experience.

“We are clear that the key issue facing Australians when engaging with NDIS is inconsistent decisions, and that current arrangements can be complex, costly and inconsistent. I’m listening, “he told SBS News in a statement.

“Participants reported spending thousands of dollars chasing assessments to demonstrate their functional abilities, and some Australians cannot afford to access professionals like others. There are also people. “

Robert said recent reforms, such as the introduction of an independent valuation process, will make access to the system more consistent and transparent.

“We believe it is important that all NDIS participants be treated equally and fairly so that all decisions made in access and planning are made using the same level of fair data and consistent standards. We are making changes to fulfill that commitment. “

The government said the increase in the number of NDIS appeals filed with referees could be “partially due” to the growth of the system in recent years.

According to the government, about 100,000 participants have participated in the system in the last 12 months alone.

An AAT spokesperson said NDIS caseloading is one of the fastest growing areas of refereeing.

Naomi Anderson, an attorney at the Victoria-based Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Service, which provides legal assistance on NDIS issues, said she wasn’t surprised by the increasing number of people fighting government decisions.

“These increases will broadly reflect the increases we and other supporters doing this job are seeing in people approaching us for help,” she said. I told the news.

Anderson said Villamanta has an increasing waiting list of people seeking legal assistance for AAT appeal.

She said there are several reasons for the increase in appeals.

“People who participated in the scheme during the rollout often had plans based on previous support arrangements because everyone needed to get up and running quickly. Subsequent plans were often reduced. And started asking for reviews, “she said.

“For others, if you have inadequate planning experience and an inadequate internal review process, you have no choice but to go to AAT.”

In 2019-20, the decisions under review changed in 65% of all final applications, up from 59% and 42% in 2018-19 and 2017-18, respectively.

According to government statistics, as of the end of June this year, 391,999 people were accessing NDIS. The application to AAT states that it is less than 1% of all access decisions made in the last seven quarters.

Independent evaluation controversy

In August, the government announced the “most important” changes since the launch of NDIS. This “helps you keep your promises” and makes it easier to navigate.

However, an independent assessment process that is part of the reform has caused concerns and confusion in some parts of Australia’s disabled community.

Some people expressing concern, such as all Australian counts, women with disabilities in Australia, and synapses, were too short to properly determine the eligibility of NDIS applicants for applicants and institutions. We believe that there may be additional barriers in between. Force vulnerable people to be evaluated by practitioners they do not know or trust.

A new independent assessment process was scrutinized earlier this month in a decision by AAT.

The National Disability Insurance Agency, which implements NDIS, previously said that despite previous diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and depression, two mothers Jennifer Ray did not meet the scheme’s “disability” criteria. Decided.

Ms. Ray, represented by Ms. Anderson, used evidence to support her application gathered from multiple medical professionals over the years.

In contrast, the NDIA provided evidence from a single independent assessor, an occupational therapist who saw Ms. Ray once every three hours.

The Tribunal said it was not convinced that the opinion of an independent assessor was “based on an accurate understanding of Ray’s career, past achievements, and her current state of mental health.”

Robert said the independent assessment is an important reform that provides a fair way to “get information about a person’s functional abilities without making assumptions based on disability or diagnosis.”

“These changes are in line with NDIS’s original intentions and follow extensive conversations with NDIS participants, families, the disabled sector, and pilot programs,” he said.

“We believe it is important that all NDIS participants be treated equally and fairly so that all decisions made in access and planning are made using the same level of fair data and consistent standards. We are making changes to fulfill that commitment. “

According to the NDIA, independent evaluation pilots prior to the announcement of the reform found that 90% of participants were very pleased or satisfied with their experience.