Tasmania will give students a back-to-school pack containing two coronavirus rapid antigen tests as part of the plan for returning to the classroom on February 9. Students should only be tested if symptomatic and further rapid tests would be provided to…

Victorians can now get their COVID-19 booster shot sooner, with the government shortening the interval from the second dose down to three months at state hubs. The state recorded 20,769 new COVID-19 cases and 18 deaths on Wednesday, 10,726 from PCR tests and…

Multiple states and territories have brought back in some pandemic restrictions in a bid to suppress the spread of the infectious Omicron variant. As case numbers continue to climb across the country, NSW has moved to suspend elective surgery, while singing…

Restrictions on the number of people allowed in cafes, bars and restaurants are returning to Victoria after the state recorded 21,997 new COVID-19 cases. Density limits will be reintroduced from Friday, Health Minister Martin Foley announced on Thursday. The…

South Australia has reported 25 new COVID-19 cases, its highest daily figure for more than 18 months, amid concerns over delays in naming exposure sites. Premier Steven Marshall revealed the new cases on Wednesday, the highest daily number since April last…

Authorities are warning Victorians to brace for a "significant increase" in Omicron COVID-19 cases, but are going ahead with relaxing some of the state's mandatory vaccination rules. From 11.59pm on Wednesday, shoppers will no longer need to prove they are…

The Queensland border will open to interstate COVID-19 hotspots several days early as health authorities prepare for an influx of travellers from next Monday. The re-opening date had been slated for December 17, but it has been brought forward to December 13…

Tasmania's Health Minister has declared 97 percent of workers in his sector have now met the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. That equates to 14,534 public health employees across the state who are jabbed, booked in to get the shot, or have an adequate exemption.…

Aged care residents are expected to be the first people to receive a coronavirus vaccine booster shot after the medical regulator gave the green light. The Therapeutic Goods Administration on Wednesday gave provisional approval for Australians 18 and over to…

Victoria is on track to reach its next major vaccination target ahead of schedule as Melbourne prepares to exit lockdown, meaning more freedoms are fewer than two weeks away. The city will emerge from its sixth shutdown at 11:59pm on Thursday, five days…

Victoria will end its sixth long-running lockdown five days earlier than planned, as the state races to its 70 per cent fully vaccinated target. Premier Daniel Andrews made the announcement on Sunday, saying now was the time for Victorians to celebrate. "As…

The number of casual contacts linked to the COVID-positive Launceston teenager who breached quarantine has risen to 51. "They're mostly people who were at the airport at the same time as the case, or at the IGA. Those numbers have come up a little bit since…

Investigations have revealed a COVID positive Launceston teenager left home quarantine without a mask to go to a local supermarket with his cousin. The IGA at Newnham between 2:20pm and 2:45pm on Saturday October 2 has been declared an exposure site. Anyone…

The Premier isn't fazed at threats of legal action from the Flight Centre boss about ongoing state border closures. Graham Turner has flagged suing lockout states including Tasmania if they don't reveal "reasonable" reopening plans in coming weeks Peter…

Melbourne's controversial curfew will be scrapped, with people able to travel up to 25 kilometres and have a beer outside the pub once 70 per cent of Victorians aged over 16 are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. But the most substantial changes to the…

A Lockdown will be lifted in regional Victoria, with the exception of the town of Shepparton which is still battling a coronavirus outbreak. The state has recorded 221 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, but most are in Melbourne. "Regional…

An intensive care nurse working in one of NSW's worst COVID-19 hotspots says the virus is "ripping families apart" and taking an enormous physical and emotional toll on healthcare workers. More than 870 COVID-19 patients are in hospital in NSW, with 143 in…

South Australian authorities have identified petrol stations linked to truck drivers who travelled through three states in WA, before testing positive to COVID-19. The two drivers were tested as part of routine surveillance in NSW on Wednesday, but being…

Regional Victorians will re-enter lockdown at 1pm on Saturday as authorities scramble to contain a COVID-19 outbreak centred on the city of Shepparton. Victoria recorded 61 new locally acquired virus cases on Saturday, including 39 in the community while…

Tasmania's Director of Public Health says the coronavirus scare in Lauceston earlier this month is now well and truly behind us. A traveller from Sydney, who came without a border pass via Melbourne, tested positive in hotel quarantine at Peppers Seaport then…