With all the talk of visiting friends, reopening cafes and travelling to New Zealand it is easy to forget that we haven't stamped out coronavirus in Australia. While many states have reported no new cases for a week, Tasmania and Victoria still have worrying cases.
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Tasmania had two cases overnight, which doesn't sound too bad, but one of those is a health worker from Launceston General Hospital. The previous hospital spike was in the North West so a case in a different hospital is not a great result. The State Government has moved quick to assure people that the worker has not been at the hospital for two weeks because they have been sick. Ten close contacts have been tested.
In Victoria, a care home North West of Melbourne has reported its first case. Grant Lodge aged care in Bacchus Marsh is now in lockdown with all residents tested as well as some staff. There are also four more cases at Cedar Meats meatworks in Melbourne, taking the total of that facility to 49.
It is easy to understand why the premiers of those two states are resisting calls to open up a quickly as other areas. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is also warning people not to get overconfident as one "hasty decision" could undo the state's good work to date. She also flagged that as the state reopens there will be new cases.
Deputy Nationals leader David Littleproud wants regional centres to open sooner than metro areas as they have had far less cases. "No one is travelling and yet they (regional areas) are facing the same economic burden that all the rest of the nation is with no scientific backing to that," Mr Littleproud said.
The COVIDSafe app is one tool that will help to reopen parts of society and 5.1 million people have jumped on board so far. Government officials have conceded the performance of their coronavirus contact tracing software is "highly variable" but insist it will still help health authorities.
The university sector is struggling throughout the crisis as travel bans and the economic drop has smashed their finances. To make matters worse they are not able to apply for Jobkeepers and the National Tertiary Education Union is concerned about 20,000 jobs in the sector.
If all of this is keeping you awake all night, one bright moment will be a super flower moon on Thursday after 11pm. Also there will be another chance to see the meteor shower tonight.
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