COVID-19

‘Real incentives’ needed to entice workers back to city

OSTN Staff

Monday’s long-awaited return to city workplaces was certainly no stampede, prompting the opposition to call for “real incentives” – such ...

At-home Covid pill comes with a catch

OSTN Staff

Antiviral pill Lageviro, also known as molnupiravir, has been listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, slashing the cost for those ...

Treasurer ‘shocked’ by Covid slush fund

OSTN Staff

Matt Kean told a budget estimates hearing on Monday he would order a review of the checks and balances in ...

‘Won’t be easy’: New mandate for students

OSTN Staff

As Covid-19 cases soar in the state, which has gone through the past two years of the pandemic relatively unscathed, ...

WA’s shocking record-breaking day

OSTN Staff

WA Health is reporting a total of 1105 new cases overnight, including 1098 local infections and seven that are travel-related.It ...

Alarm over Covid’s ‘mutational bursts’

OSTN Staff

As well as sounding a warning that more dangerous variants of Covid will continue to emerge well into the future, ...

5052 new cases, push to axe final mask rules

OSTN Staff

Businesses have called for remaining mask rules to go as workers and shoppers are expected to flood back to the ...

12k new cases, 26 deaths across NSW and Victoria

OSTN Staff

NSW on Saturday morning reported 7017 new infections in the past 24 hours, down from 7583. Eleven people died with ...

5874 new Covid cases as workers consider return to office advice

OSTN Staff

Victoria has recorded 5874 Covid cases and 15 deaths on Friday.There are 281 people with Covid in hospital, with 43 ...

Cases fall in NSW, Victoria as WA tightens rules

OSTN Staff

NSW on Saturday morning reported 7017 new infections in the past 24 hours, down from 7583. Eleven people died with ...

WA hits grim Covid milestone

OSTN Staff

According to chief health officer Andy Robertson, there were 1043 new cases reported on Friday.Hospitalisations increased from seven to 12 ...

QLD watches other states on masks

OSTN Staff

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the changes for her state on Tuesday.Both Victoria and NSW further scaled back mask mandates from ...

Fresh push to boost jab rates in young kids

OSTN Staff

Children and their families will be able to get vaccinated at Werribee Open Range Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary under a ...

Explainer: Mask rules that change on Friday

OSTN Staff

Masks are officially off around the state, with facial coverings no longer needed in shops, offices and other indoor places ...

Let our young heroes take off their masks

OSTN Staff

However, primary school-age children in years 3-6 are still required to wear a mask until vaccination rates increase. Children have ...

Sutton says iso rules are ‘hard to wind back’

OSTN Staff

Although talks about how to remove quarantine requirements have begun among Australia’s pandemic leaders, Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton ...

McGowan’s grim Covid-19 prediction

OSTN Staff

Mark McGowan revealed on Thursday that the state had recorded 617 new cases overnight — the second highest daily tally ...

No need for MP jab rule: Premier

OSTN Staff

Under NSW’s public health orders teachers, healthcare workers, emergency services and other essential workers have been made to get the ...

No more masks in schools from March

OSTN Staff

Primary school teachers however will need to wear masks until March 7. Changes to how year groups mingle are also ...

Top doc ridicules Dan’s kid mask rule

OSTN Staff

From midnight Friday, Victoria is set to scrap masks in most settings but children in grades three to six will ...

New Covid vaccine for kids over six

OSTN Staff

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation had given the second green light to the ...

‘Back to normal’: Masks scrapped in schools

OSTN Staff

From Monday, all students and high school staff will no longer need to wear a face mask. Primary school and ...

New kids’ jab as Covid-19 hits 2.3m Aussies in seven weeks

OSTN Staff

The approval by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has reignited calls for Covid-19 vaccinations to be rolled ...

Voucher stimulus scheme to boost hospitality, tourism

OSTN Staff

It will include a new and extended $100m voucher scheme, which will provide rebates to Victorians for entertainment, dining and ...

Covid latest: 14,714 cases and 32 deaths

OSTN Staff

The figures are a drop for all three states after NSW had 7615 infections on Saturday, Victoria 6280 and Queensland ...

Three states record Covid cases drop

OSTN Staff

The figures are a drop for all three states after NSW had 7615 infections on Saturday, Victoria 6280 and Queensland ...

Hong Kong buckles under mass Covid outbreak

OSTN Staff

The city’s strict but successful “zero-Covid” policy had largely kept the virus out for months.But when the highly transmissible Omicron ...

Victoria records 4867 cases; loyalty scheme plan to revive city

OSTN Staff

Victoria has recorded 4867 Covid cases and nine deaths on Sunday. There are 358 people in Victorian hospitals with 51 ...

Date decided to end students’ RAT testing

OSTN Staff

Instead, parents, teachers and school staff will be given an ­additional eight tests to use at their ­discretion — or ...

Covid cases drop in NSW and Victoria

OSTN Staff

NSW recorded 7615 new infections, down from Friday’s 9243 cases while Victoria reported 6280 new cases, down from the 6935 ...