(Photo : Sam Tabone/Getty Images)
Bert Newton Farewelled In State Funeral
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 12: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the state funeral for Australian actor Bert Newton at St Patrick's Cathedral on November 12, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. Bert Newtown died in his home on October 30, 2021, at age 83. Newton was an award-winning actor featuring in Australian film and television for over 60 years. (Photo by Sam Tabone/Getty Images)
After attending a crowded private school graduation ball for his wife Jenny's god-daughter, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been the subject of a COVID-19 scare. Morrison tested negative for two COVID-19 tests after NSW Health determined he was a casual contact at a school function.
He learned late Tuesday that the Kincoppal-Rose Bay graduation ceremony he attended the previous Friday evening was an exposure area, but he did not need to isolate. Morrison is said to have received advice from NSW Health and the chief medical officer that a function with the South Korean president at Kirribilli House on Tuesday night could go ahead.
Scott Morrison tested for COVID-19 after attending graduation
In accordance with NSW Health protocols, the PM will undergo another test on day six after his exposure, and his scheduled travel to Queensland on Wednesday will proceed. The announcement comes nearly two years after Australia's international borders were shut down due to the pandemic.
Skilled workers and overseas students no longer need to get a travel exemption to enter Australia as of Wednesday. It comes after the federal government put a two-week block on visa holders returning home due to concerns about the entry of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, Daily Mail reported.
Although Omicron caused an increase in case of numbers in numerous states, the halt will finish on time. As a result of the restart, a travel bubble with Japan and South Korea may commence.
According to the administration, around 235,000 visa holders, including an estimated 133,000 overseas students, would be allowed to visit the country. Catriona Jackson, CEO of Universities Australia, expressed her happiness that international students may now return.
Per Republic World, Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison has claimed that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 will not force the country to return to COVID-19 restrictions. The Australian Prime Minister stated that the new manufacturing plant will be built in Australia by 2024 while announcing the partnership with Moderna.
He went on to say that the country's vaccination rate is still increasing. PM Scott Morrison claimed that the country now intends to open up and that he and his team have been working hard to make it happen.
Morrison admitted to making mistakes throughout the pandemic and during the early stages of the vaccine rollout. When they are in the midst of a crisis, it is not "unusual" to have setbacks, but they must overcome them and work together, according to the Australian Prime Minister.
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Moderna announces deal with Australia
Moderna Inc (MRNA.O), a US pharmaceutical company, has agreed to establish one of its largest production sites outside of the US and Europe in Australia, where it will create millions of mRNA vaccines per year.
The agreement, which is the second of such commitment by a western mRNA vaccine developer in the Asia Pacific, highlights efforts by governments around the world to ramp up local production and prepare for future pandemic threats, following the slow rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine due to limited early access to shots.
When it opens in 2024, Morrison expects the plant in Victoria state to generate up to 100 million mRNA vaccine doses each year. Morrison did not disclose the agreement's financial terms although Australian media speculated that it may be valued at around $1.43 billion.
Moderna said in October that it would invest up to $500 million in Africa to create a plant capable of producing 500 million doses of mRNA vaccines per year, including its COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna and Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccines employ mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) technology, which instructs cells on how to manufacture a protein that stimulates an immune response. Vaccines for various respiratory disorders including seasonal flu can also be made using this technique, Reuters reported.
Related Article: UK Raises COVID-19 Alert Level to 4 Amid Rapid Increase of Omicron Variant Cases; Boris Johnson Unveils New Jab Plan
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