Queenslanders are on the edge as four new Coronavirus cases have emerged in Brisbane city, casting doubt over the NRL Grand Final on Sunday.
The state recorded a mystery case on Tuesday when a man from the aviation industry returned a positive test. His wife also tested positive. The third case is a woman who returned three negative tests during hotel quarantine and returned a positive test five days after her release. The most concerning case was a truck driver who was infectious in the community for eight days.
Further south a Victorian region has been plunged into a snap lockdown after an outbreak. The LaTrobe Valley has the same restrictions as Melbourne without the curfew as contact tracers attempt to get on top of the outbreak. It's believed the cluster stemmed from an illegal social gathering for the AFL grand final.
In related news a Victorian pair are facing court in Western Australia for sneaking over the boarder for the grand final. A business owner and financial planner allegedly flew into Perth on September 22 with fake drivers licenses. The pair attended the matched before the WA police received an anonymous tip off.
New data on Veteran Suicide was released on Wednesday. Between 2001 and 2019, the number of identified Defence and veteran suicides now stands at 1273 individuals. The overall rate and trends have not changed.
Also released on Wednesday, a report from the Institute of Health and Welfare revealed the rate of heart disease in Indigenous Australians is twice that of non-Indigenous people. It estimates 42,700 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults had heart, stroke and vascular disease in 2018/19, based on self-reported data from the ABS.
Overseas, the Royals have joined the cast of the new Bond film at the Premiere in London. The film, the 25th in the long-running series and Craig's last outing as 007, was initially due to be released in April 2020 but has suffered multiple delays because of the pandemic.
With Australian Associated Press.