Health News at Your Fingertips

A man who was arrested at the Australian Open has been released pending further inquiry, as police investigate assaults on staff at the event, AAP reports.

Earlier on Wednesday, Victoria police alleged a woman had been sexually assaulted at Rod Laver Arena just before midnight on Tuesday.

However, police have since changed their statement and no longer believe the sexual assault took place.

“Our information on the incidents at the tennis has changed,” a police spokesman said.

Reports of “assaults on staff members” at the venue are still being investigated.

A 37-year-old man was arrested and has been released pending further enquiries and the investigation is ongoing.

A Northern Territory council has called for an urgent lockdown of remote Indigenous communities to save lives amid the “out-of-control” spread of Covid-19.

The Central Land Council says the NT and federal governments must collaborate on enforcing a lockdown until the situation is under control, AAP reports.

“We need a circuit breaker to slow down the out-of-control spread of the virus in our communities,” chief executive Les Turner said in a statement.

We all use the same hospitals and will be very much in it together when they become overwhelmed.

Turner said the lockdown should include police and Australian Defence Force personnel staffing roadblocks to restrict movement between communities and into regional centres. The NT reported 517 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday as the virus continues to spread through Indigenous communities.

Turner said a number of super-spreader events had contributed to the explosion of positive cases, but that Aboriginal people were taking action.

Many of our constituents are now delaying funerals to slow the spread of Covid …

Our people and their organisations are doing their bit. They now need both governments to stop burying their heads in the sand, face facts and back them.

Here are the latest Covid-19 numbers from around Australia today, as the country records at least 74 deaths from the virus:

Victoria

• Deaths: 35
• Cases: 13,507
• Hospitalisations: 1,089 (with 113 in ICU)

NSW

• Deaths: 29
• Cases: 21,030
• Hospitalisations: 2,794 (with 175 in ICU)

Queensland

• Deaths: 9
• Cases: 13,551
• Hospitalisations: 889 (with 47 in ICU)

Tasmania

• Deaths: 1
• Cases: 712
• Hospitalisations: 28 (with 2 in ICU)

Many Aboriginal activists say that 26 January is not a day to celebrate, but instead a day to start “paying the rent” – by supporting and donating to the needs of First Nations people.

Laura Murphy-Oates speaks to Greens senator Lidia Thorpe and First Nations author Veronica Gorrie about the history of this movement, and how to “pay the rent” this Invasion Day

You can listen below: