COVID-19 News (as of 13th October)

AUSTRALIA

A secondary school in Melbourne’s east has opted to halt in-person classes ahead of written VCE exams, lest students catch COVID-19 in the meantime. A Xavier College spokesman said the school made the decision to move to online classes from Wednesday to ensure all Year 12 students would be able to sit exams in two weeks’ time. The school felt that, with so many COVID-19 cases in the community, there was a real risk of more students catching the virus, putting exams in jeopardy. A student in Year 12 at the school tested has positive for the virus, but has not been on campus, the spokesman said.

Dozens of sick and vulnerable babies at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital have been plunged into isolation with their parents, after a father who later tested positive for COVID-19 visited the neo-natal intensive care ward. As a result, the hospital’s chief executive Bernadette McDonald said it would introduce rapid antigen testing for all visitors to the hospital by the end of this week. She said there were 29 babies in the ward when the father visited. Two of the babies were declared tier-1 or close contacts, and the rest were declared tier-2 or casual contacts.

Harassment and abuse of healthcare workers immunizing Victorians against COVID-19 have soared following the enforcement of a vaccine mandate, with some being offered bribes to falsify documents by anti-vaxxers wanting to keep their jobs. Had been a surge in abuse, threats and aggressive behavior. Becoming quite frustrated and angry about the fact of being forced to get a vaccine, and taking it out on the staff. Shouting at the front desk, at the admin staff and behaving aggressively towards the nurses in the cubicles

Area	NSW	QLD	VIC
​Numbers / Cases	444 (4 deaths)	0	1571 (13 deaths)
​Restriction/s	​Parts of regional NSW deemed 'low risk' will be allowed to leave home and enjoy shopping, pubs, clubs and events.	No restrictions on leaving home.	Travel up to 15km from home in metropolitan Melbourne and regional areas in lockdown.
*Face mask is still compulsory	Anyone entering an LGA of concern for the purposes of work must carry a worker permit issued by Service NSW.	Businesses and venues are now allowed to reopen with one person per 4 sq metres, or 50% capacity when seated.	Metro Melbourne stay-at-home (9pm to 5am).
	Gunnedah Shire went into lockdown until 11 October.	Restriction in Brisbane & Moreton Bay. Limits of a maximum 50 people during events.	Real estate inspections will resume by appointment only. Essential workers who can’t work from home need to get a permit to go to work.

MALAYSIA (SARAWAK)

The Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee has reported 28 fatalities related to Covid-19 today. 28 of them are around 58 to 99 years old, where 2 of them have no health conditions or illnesses. There was also a man from Kuching who suffered from gout and Parkinson Disease. Kuching still top of the list in recorded cases in all of Sarawak’s districts.

Restrictions in Kuching (Sarawak)	Cases / Numbers
All business sectors operate from 5am to 12am (80% of employees are allowed present at a time)	215
No public gathering / loitering after 12am.
Movement between cities and districts is allowed.
Only those fully vaccinated are allowed inside government complexes, malls, and shops.
Non-contact sports / activities are allowed.