Month: October 2021

National Cabinet met today to discuss Australia’s COVID-19 response, recent outbreaks of COVID-19 and the Australian COVID-19 Vaccine Strategy.
National Cabinet expressed its gratitude to outgoing New South Wales Premier, the Hon Gladys Berejiklian. As a founding member of National Cabinet, the Premier has made a significant contribution to the national pandemic response and been a driving force to lead New South Wales through the pandemic, saving lives and livelihoods.
National Cabinet continues to work together to address issues and find solutions for the health and economic consequences of COVID-19.
Since the beginning of the pandemic there have been 107,171 confirmed cases in Australia and, sadly, 1,307 people have died. More than 38 million tests have been undertaken, with 1,350,083 tests reported in the past 7 days.
Globally there have been over 233.6 million cases and sadly over 4.7 million deaths, with 486,746 new cases and 9,002 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge in many countries around the world.
Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine roll out continues to expand. To date, over 28 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Australia, including 341,129 in the previous 24 hours.
In the previous 7 days, more than 1.9 million vaccines have been administered in Australia. More than 78.4 per cent of the Australian population aged 16 years and over have now had a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including over 89.4 per cent of over 50 year olds and more than 94.8 per cent of over 70 year olds.
More than 55 per cent of Australians aged 16 years and over are now fully vaccinated, including almost 72 per cent of over 50 year olds and more than 79 per cent of Australians over 70 years of age.
Today, Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly provided an update on current outbreaks of COVID-19. The Chief Medical Officer noted the outbreaks in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.
All leaders reiterated the importance of Australians, especially those in vulnerable groups, to get two doses of a COVID-19 vaccination.
Professor Brendan Murphy, Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Health, provided an update on the work being done by the Commonwealth and all states and territories looking at health system capacity for managing COVID-19 cases during Phases B and C of the National Plan, and the Chief Medical Officer provided an update on the Test, Trace, Isolate and Quarantine (TTIQ) work underway through Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC).
National Cabinet received a briefing from Lieutenant General John Frewen, DSC, AM, Coordinator General of the National COVID Vaccine Taskforce (Operation COVID Shield). Specific workstreams are underway to support a higher level of vaccination uptake amongst Indigenous Australians and the disability sector. mRNA vaccines are now available for Australians aged 60 years and above across the majority of Australia, including all primary care settings.
National Cabinet agreed to meet next on Friday, 5 November 2021.
Vaccine Rollout
Lieutenant General John Frewen, DSC, AM provided a detailed update to National Cabinet on plans to increase vaccination rates amongst disabled and Indigenous Australians. With sufficient supplies available in October to vaccinate all Australians, and with around 10,000 vaccination sites, additional measures are being enacted to support uptake and reduce hesitancy.
National Cabinet noted the preliminary advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) on booster doses, published on 23 September 2021. ATAGI will provide further advice on third dose requirements for specified individuals to complete their primary course vaccination in October. The Commonwealth will provide an update on boosters and third dose vaccinations following advice from ATAGI, with significant planning underway with states and territories to commence a booster/third shot program in late 2021, subject to ATAGI advice.
National Cabinet noted the AHPPC statements on schools, mandatory vaccinations of health care workers, ventilation and visitation in aged care, which recommend increased visitation for families of people in residential aged care facilities and actions to support schools to remain open.
Health System Capacity
National Cabinet received advice from the Health System Capacity Cross Jurisdictional Working Group on surge planning and that all states and territories confirmed that effective systems were in place at a state and territory level. National Cabinet requested further analysis of regional reports of the Local Health Network (LHN)/Primary Health Network (PHN) collaborative care pathways.
National Plan to Transition Australia’s COVID-19 Response
National Cabinet received an update from Professor Jodie McVernon from the Doherty Institute. National Cabinet noted but did not yet endorse the interim analysis showing that TTIQ measures continue to contribute to controlling transmission of the Delta variant, and that case-initiated contact tracing, as has been used in the recent NSW Delta outbreak, can effectively assist health responses in outbreaks involving high case numbers to deliver an effective partial TTIQ impact. National Cabinet further noted the interim update on 7-day home quarantine for vaccinated arrivals and infection risk. To assist with further planning for possible future 7-day quarantine arrangements, all states and territories committed to providing more detailed data on COVID cases recorded in their hotel quarantine systems.
National Cabinet noted the Commonwealth’s updated progress to adjust border settings to allow for safe and secure international travel by vaccinated Australians.
International travel for fully vaccinated
The Commonwealth will introduce an International COVID-19 Vaccine Certificate for outbound travellers to present at foreign borders and at the Australian border. This certificate has been designed to meet the new standards specified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and endorsed by the World Health Organization.
The international certificate will display a Visible Digital Seal (VDS), as specified by the ICAO standard. A VDS is a QR code that’s as secure as a passport chip, using the same highly secure e-passport technology. VDS is compatible with existing passport control systems around the world and with COVID-19 travel apps such as the IATA Travel Pass that many airlines are using.
The new international certificates will become available for Australians by the end of October, both digitally and in printable form, through a simple process in myGov.
TGA ‘recognition’ of two new vaccines
The TGA has provided advice that Coronavac (Sinovac) and Covishield (AstraZeneca/Serum Institute of India) vaccines be considered ‘recognised vaccines’ for incoming international travellers to be regarded as appropriately vaccinated. This is in addition to the four vaccines approved for use in Australia – Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
This advice follows detailed assessments by the TGA to determine the protection against infection and serious illness offered by vaccines not registered for use in Australia.
‘Recognition’ status does not constitute Australian regulatory approval, as regulatory approval would enable a company to provide that vaccine for administration within Australia.
Recognition of these vaccines supports Australians to be able to return who have had these vaccinations overseas, and will enable reopening to other groups such as international students who have been vaccinated with these vaccines in countries such as Indonesia, India and China.
Facilitated Commercial Flights
The Commonwealth outlined its offer of assistance to source and coordinate suitable cohorts of returning Australians for a home quarantine trial.
Implementation of the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements
National Cabinet received an update on progress with the implementation of the recommendations from the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements. National Cabinet noted that while delivery of many of the recommendations were underway, more needed to be done to be prepared for the coming high risk weather season.
National Cabinet agreed that jurisdictions would focus on urgently delivering the seven priority areas identified by the National Federation Reform Council. Emergency Management Ministers have been asked to identify additional actions for immediate delivery before the end of the year.
At the next meeting, National Cabinet will receive a briefing on the 2021-22 high risk weather season.
Energy – National Cabinet Reform Committee
National Cabinet endorsed the final package of reforms for the post-2025 National Electricity Market, as agreed by the Energy National Cabinet Reform Committee.
The proposed reforms act on the recommendations of the Energy Security Board (ESB), following two years of widespread consultation and in-depth analysis.
The full suite of reforms set out immediate, initial and long-term changes to deliver a fit-for-purpose electricity market into the future. This includes further work and design principles for a potential capacity mechanism to deliver investment in an efficient mix of capacity that meets reliability at lowest cost. The ESB will also continue further work on a congestion management model.
This outcome demonstrates the shared commitment across all National Energy Market jurisdictions to deliver affordable, reliable electricity to consumers.

The report of an independent review of the Australian Government’s Hearing Services Program has been released today. The review was undertaken to provide ideas and recommendations for the government to consider, including ways of ensuring the program improves the outcome of vulnerable Australians who live with hearing loss, by being more client and outcomes focused.
Minister for Regional Health, Dr David Gillespie, said the Government would carefully consider the various recommendations put forward as part of the review process.
‘I want to ensure that as part of this process we preserve choice, improve the equity, effectiveness, and sustainability of the program, and build on the key priorities from the Hearing Health Roadmap that the Government has already funded in Budget 2020. Whether you are born with hearing loss or it occurs later, it can have a huge impact on your life,’ Minister Gillespie said.
‘Right now, 1 in 6 Australian adults suffers from hearing loss, and this is expected to rise to about 1 in 4 adults by 2050, as the population ages.
‘The Government wants to ensure that all Australians with hearing loss, wherever they live, can get top-quality assistance to help them get the best out of their lives.
‘The Hearing Services Program already provides an excellent service, and with the help of the independent review, we have been keen to see additional ideas put forward that will build on the program’s strengths to make it even better for even more people.
‘There are a range of recommendations that the Government will consider in depth before making a comprehensive response to the review in due course,’ Minister Gillespie said.
The Minister would like to assure all stakeholders that the Government will be consulting further on how to take some of the recommendations forward and provide certainty to the sector. ‘In the meantime, I encourage interested parties and consumers of hearing services to continue to be involved in the outcomes of the review through the hearing services team in my department’.
The review confirmed the program was highly valued, both by people with hearing loss and those who support them personally and in their school or work lives. In 2019–20, it provided more than 1.4 million services to Australians, including providing and fitting hearing aids for more than 392,000 people.
The Government set up the independent review in August 2020 to seek further ideas about how to further strengthen the program and make it more accessible, especially for people outside the major cities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The review was also tasked to explore reasons as to why more than half of those who are eligible are not accessing the program.
‘On behalf of the Government, I would like to thank the expert panel – Professor Mike Woods and Dr Zena Burgess – and everyone who has contributed to this review,’ Minister Gillespie said.
Stakeholders including consumer advocacy groups, hearing services clients, providers, industry, professional associations, and academics participated in the review.

Nominations are now open for members of Australia’s first-ever Council of Elders – a panel of representatives charged with providing advice and feedback on aged care issues around the country.
In another important response to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, the council will be established as part of the Morrison Government’s comprehensive $17.7 billion reinforcement of the sector.
It comes as Australia today marks the inaugural Ageism Awareness Day and the United Nation’s International Day of Older Persons.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, and Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, said in keeping with both awareness initiatives, the Council of Elders will ensure older Australians and the issues they face, are at the heart of Australia’s generational reforms.
“Our aged care reforms are all about providing respect, care and dignity to senior Australians, and we want to ensure the voices of those senior Australians are heard at the highest levels in this process,” Minister Hunt said.
“The Council of Elders will have about 10 members appointed from nominations right across Australia, including rural, regional and remote areas.”
Successful nominees will represent the diverse life experiences and characteristics of senior Australians and bring the views and perspectives of others to the table.
“The Council of Elders will be consumer focused,” Minister Hunt said.  ‘Its members will be independent of government and must not be affiliated with aged care services providers’.
Council members will have a lived understanding of aged care and must be able to engage with their community, the Government and ministers on aged care reforms.
Minister Colbeck said in addition to public nominations, interest had also been sought from peak bodies and community organisations representing senior Australians.
“Council of Elders members are expected to represent the views of older Australians, so they will remain independent of any of the organisations that may put their name forward,” Minister Colbeck said.
“The guidance and feedback from council members will help keep us on track as the Morrison Government continues to work closely with aged care stakeholders and providers on a path to offering higher-quality individual needs-based care.”
The Council of Elders will provide advice to the Minister for Health and Aged Care and the Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, and also to the National Aged Care Advisory Council (NACAC) which is also being established under the aged care reforms.
The Council of Elders chair will also have a seat on the NACAC to directly share the perspective of senior Australians with this group.
Information relating to nominations can be found here.
The nomination process will close 15 October 2021, with the membership of the Council of Elders to be announced later this year.

Older Australians are today recognised for the vital contributions they make to communities around the country as part of the United Nation’s International Day of Older Persons.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt and Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, said the global day of awareness marked an important opportunity to show our gratitude to seniors Australians – from our parents to neighbours and friends.
“The value older Australians bring to communities across our nation is immeasurable,” Minister Hunt said.
“From passing on family traditions and recipes, sharing words of wisdom to younger generations, or seeing the successes of the past come to life in the present, senior Australians across the country have made our nation what it is today.”
Minister Colbeck said it was particularly important to continue strengthening our connections with senior Australians as we continue to navigate the impacts of the global pandemic.
“We know the impact COVID-19 has had across our nation – but it has been felt particularly by older and more vulnerable Australians,” Minister Colbeck said.
“As lockdowns continue across so many regions, it is more important than ever that we check in on those people we love most to ensure their physical and emotional needs are being met.
“Whether it’s a face-to-face visit, text message, a video chat or a phone call, I encourage everyone to check in regularly with all the senior Australians in our lives.”
Minister Colbeck also paid tribute to workers across the aged care sector who have helped ensure residents in facilities across Australia stay connected with family and friends.
The Government provides funding for a number of measures to help senior Australians remain connected and supported in their communities. These include:

• The Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line (1800 171 866)
• The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement (1800 22 22 00)
• Translation and interpreter services (131 450)
• Community Visitors Scheme, supporting community-based organisations to recruit volunteers to visit older people to provide friendship and companionship

Ageism Awareness Day
Peak industry organisations like the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) and the Council of the Ageing (COTA) are also marking today as Australia’s inaugural Ageism Awareness Day.
A live social media video by OPAN will touch on conversations about ageism, its impact, and how we can each play a part in combatting harmful stereotypes. To find out more, visit OPAN’s Facebook page. To register for a webinar held by COTA today, visit the Every Age Counts website.
Be Connected
For more details about thriving in the digital world, including e-safety training and learning resources, visit the Be Connected website, designed to empower all Australians to develop digital skills and confidence.

From today, all Australians aged 12 and over are eligible to receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine through Australia’s network of GPs and community pharmacies.
The decision by the Australian Government to open up mRNA vaccines to the 60 and over age group will give Australians more options and encouragement to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, if they haven’t already.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt said we are on track to ensuring every eligible Australian can receive a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of this month, with more than 28 million doses administered to date.
“More than 77 per cent of eligible Australians have received one COVID-19 dose and 54 per cent are fully vaccinated,” Minister Hunt said.
“We have now passed the United States on percentage of first doses administered and I thank all Australians who have come forward so far and received a COVID-19 vaccination. It will make a significant contribution to returning to COVID normal.
“I encourage everyone who is not yet vaccinated to call your local GP, Community Pharmacy, State or Commonwealth Hub and make an appointment today. It can protect you and your loved ones.”
Australia currently has two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines approved for use by the Therapeutic Goods Authority (TGA) and included in our rollout program on the advice of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).
These are the Spikevax (Moderna) and Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccines. As they are both mRNA vaccines, they are very similar and are highly effective at preventing severe illness and death from COVID-19.
The Commonwealth has been working closely with other jurisdictions, which have been progressively announcing the availability of mRNA vaccines for people aged 60 and over at state and territory-run clinics.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder has been updated to allow people aged 60 and over to find sites that administer the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

Australia is ready to take its next steps to safely reopen to the world, with changes coming to the international border.
Our government is setting out the framework for how international travel will look in coming months.
With first dose vaccination rates at over 78 per cent and double dose rates nationwide at 55 per cent and on track to reach 70 per cent in some jurisdictions over the next week, our government has been finalising plans so Australian families can be reunited, Australian workers can travel in and out of our country, and we can work towards welcoming tourists back to our shores.
Within weeks, large parts of the country will be moving to Phase B and then to Phase C of the National Plan to safely reopen Australia and to stay safely open. Under Phase C, international travel is on track to reopen safely to fully vaccinated Australian travellers. Many countries around the world have now safely reopened to international travel and it will shortly be time for Australia to take the next step.
To enable fully vaccinated Australians to travel, our government is finalising new arrangements.
Following completion of home quarantine pilots in New South Wales and South Australia, it is anticipated that states and territories that are ready to do so will roll out:

• Seven day home quarantine for Australian citizens and permanent residents fully vaccinated with a vaccine approved for use in Australia or ‘recognised’ by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
• 14-day managed quarantine for anyone not vaccinated or vaccinated with a vaccine not approved or recognised by the TGA.

Australian citizens and permanent residents who cannot be vaccinated – for example if they are under 12 or have a medical condition – will be treated as vaccinated for the purposes of their travel.
States and territories will begin this program at different times given their varying vaccination rates but we expect the system to commence in November.
Under Phase B and C of the National Plan, 14-day managed quarantine caps apply to unvaccinated arrivals. These will return to previous levels at Phase B of the National Plan. We will work with states and territories to remove all travel caps on vaccinated Australians.
In line with the National Plan, our government is balancing the need to minimise the risk that the spread of COVID-19 presents, with the need to live with the virus.
The Government’s intention is that once changes are made in November, the current overseas travel restrictions related to COVID-19 will be removed and Australians will be able to travel subject to any other travel advice and limits, as long as they are fully vaccinated and those countries’ border settings allow. Border settings and quarantine requirements in other countries continue to change and we strongly encourage all Australians to closely monitor DFAT travel advice, available on smartraveller.gov.au.
These changes mean there will be no travel restrictions if you are a vaccinated Australian entering or leaving our shores.
We will also work towards completely quarantine-free travel for certain countries, such as New Zealand, when it is safe to do so.
Testing is expected to continue to be a requirement of international travel, but subject to further medical advice, Rapid Antigen Tests may be used.
Australians who want to travel overseas once restrictions are removed will be able to access an internationally recognised proof of vaccination document in the coming weeks to prove their vaccination status abroad. The proof of vaccination for international travel will include a QR code that is readable globally, and will comply with the standards set out by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. Engagement with commercial airlines and foreign governments has already begun to ensure they are familiar with the system.
We know it has been an extraordinarily difficult 18 months for Australians overseas trying to come home and for Australians with family and friends overseas.
To maximise the number of Australians who can return, our government is also offering facilitated flights into any state or territory that agrees to commence seven day home quarantine trials for returning Australians.
More than 680,000 Australians have returned since the Government recommended people reconsider the need to travel abroad in March last year. The Government stands ready to assist more people to return with the cooperation of states and territories.
Australian citizens and permanent residents who have been vaccinated with a TGA-approved vaccine overseas can already visit their GP or local pharmacist in Australia to have their COVID-19 vaccination status updated in the Australian Immunisation Register, to be able to show proof of vaccination in Australia.
In coming weeks the government will finalise the processes for people to be able to show their vaccination status if they have had a TGA ‘recognised vaccine’. People who have received vaccines not recognised by the TGA, or who are unvaccinated, will be required to undertake 14 days of managed quarantine on arrival.
In addition to the four COVID-19 vaccines that have been approved and registered for use by the TGA – Pfizer (Comirnaty), AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria), Moderna (Spikevax) and COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen – the TGA has also been reviewing other vaccines in widespread use around the world for the purposes of determining ‘recognised vaccines’.
We need to ensure that we keep Australians safe without creating unnecessary obstacles to people who have been fully vaccinated overseas from coming to our country.
Today, the TGA has published its initial assessment of the data on the protection offered by the Coronavac (Sinovac) and Covishield (AstraZeneca/Serum Institute of India) vaccines and has advised that these vaccines should be considered as ‘recognised vaccines’ for the purpose of determining incoming international travellers as being appropriately vaccinated.
Declaring certain COVID-19 vaccines as ‘recognised vaccines’ is separate to a regulatory decision on whether they are approved for use for vaccination in Australia, which has not been made by the TGA.
The recognition of these two additional vaccines is a major milestone towards more Australians vaccinated overseas getting home sooner.
The TGA will continue its assessment of other vaccines for the purpose of determining ‘recognised vaccines’ based on the available data and data that is provided.
In coming weeks the Minister for Health will consider updates to the Biosecurity Act Emergency determinations to facilitate some of these changes for fully vaccinated Australian travellers as we move forward on the National Plan to get Australia back to normal and reopen our country safely.