Health News at Your Fingertips

Here are the latest coronavirus numbers from around Australia today, as the country records at least 63 deaths from Covid-19:

ACT

• Deaths: 1
• Cases: 891
• In hospital: 152 (with 4 people in ICU)

NSW

• Deaths: 15
• Cases: 18,669
• In hospital: 2,202 (with 55 people in ICU)

Northern Territory

• Deaths: 0
• Cases: 523
• In hospital: 81 (with 3 person in ICU)

Queensland

• Deaths: 10
• Cases: 9,023
• In hospital: 1,050 (with 26 people in ICU)

South Australia

• Deaths: 7
• Cases: 4,373
• In hospital: 358 (with 12 people in ICU)

Tasmania

• Deaths: 4
• Cases: 1,416
• In hospital: 172 (with 2 people in ICU)

Victoria

• Deaths: 25
• Cases: 12,278
• In hospital: 840 (with 33 people in ICU)

Western Australia

• Deaths: 1
• Cases: 6,056
• In hospital: 452 (with 24 people in ICU)

Federal chief medical officer Paul Kelly has told a conference earlier today that he expects hospitalisations today to be the “highest ever”.

Kelly was speaking at the Australasian Covid-19 Conference in Sydney, and said he believed there would be more people in hospital with Covid today than at any other point in the pandemic:

Today, probably, we will have the largest number of people in hospital at any time during the pandemic.

It’s challenging our health system in many ways.

Kelly went on to say he was still optimistic about increased antiviral usage as well as uptake of the fourth dose of the vaccine, adding that he encouraged people to wear masks indoors.

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews waded into discussions around working arrangements amid surging waves of Covid, saying flexible work is “here to stay”.

Andrews was fronting a press conference this morning, and said flexible work arrangements, that would include working from home set-ups, should be enshrined in enterprise bargaining agreements.

Enterprise bargains are always best when they are accompanied by a sense of good faith, a sense of partnership, and there’s a bit of give and take and you’ll find a balanced outcome,” he told reporters in the regional Victorian city of Ballarat on Friday.

I know that there are challenges with working from home … but some changes, I think they’re here to stay.

It’s not a concept any more, it’s a lived experience of people for two, three years.

Good afternoon, and quick thanks to Natasha for another stellar shift on this rainy Friday. Mostafa Rachwani with you this afternoon, with much still going on, so let’s dive in.

Thanks for following along this Splendour in the Grass live blog (with a bit of politics thrown in for good measure). Handing you over to my colleague Mostafa Rachwani who will take you through into your weekend!

Dominic Perrottet says he’ll face questions on John Barilaro’s appointment to NY trade job next month

The New South Wales premier, Dominic Perrottet, said he is standing firm on not appearing before an upper house inquiry into the appointment of former deputy premier John Barilaro to a $500,000-a-year New York trade posting, AAP reports.

Perrottet, who is in Japan as part of a 10-day trade mission to Asia, said he was waiting for recommendations from an independent review he had set up to look into the now-abandoned appointment before facing questioning at the budget estimates in a month.

Disappointment from those turned around after 14-hour wait at Splendour in the Grass

Some understandable frustration from festival goers who were told they would have to go to Byron Events farm 15 minutes away from the festival after waiting 14 hours in the queue to enter Splendour in the Grass’ camp ground.

That announcement that the site wouldn’t be taking any more campers or vehicles came through earlier this morning.

The wet and muddy conditions at the music festival continue to inspire jokes online.

Queensland flood water risk continues

Queensland Fire and Emergency is reminding people not to travel through moving flood waters, following – as we told you on the blog earlier – a man’s death after being swept away in floodwaters in South East Queensland.

Queensland police are still working to formally identify the man, with police divers and forensic officers at the scene near Sandy Creek, the ABC is reporting.

Reactions to Splendour cancellation

As the news came through this hour that the first day of Splendour in the Grass has been cancelled, reactions are ranging from disappointment to solidarity with artists dealt another blow after the industry struggled through Covid-19 lockdowns. And of course a bit of poking fun at the expense of festivalgoers.

And for some the day has only gotten worse as they lose personal items amidst the mud …

Almost half of young women in Australia report mental health disorder, study finds

The first national study of its kind in more than a decade has found almost half of all young women in Australia suffered an anxiety, depression or substance abuse disorder last financial year.

For males in the same age bracket (16 to 24), it was about one in three.