![]() NSW at least did see the first drop in hospitalisations since mid-December, a possible sign the Omicron wave could be peaking in the state. The three most populous states of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland on Thursday reported 69,600 new coronavirus cases and more than 4,800 patients in hospital. The country on Thursday reached the grim milestone of 2 million cases since the start of the pandemic, though deaths have been low by international standards at just over 2,900. The government is still having to defend its slow start last year to procuring vaccines, blaming a worldwide shortage of shots and the need for the drugs to be properly approved.Īustralia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on Thursday provisionally approved Novavax Inc's (NVAX.O) COVID-19 vaccine, and two oral treatments for vulnerable patients. He was upstaged on Thursday by Victoria Premier Dan Andrews, who announced the state had ordered 166 million test kits, on top of 44 million already on the way. The problem has been exacerbated by a widespread shortage of rapid antigen tests (RATs), limiting the ability of workers to test themselves, which has become a hot button issue for voters ahead of an election expected by May.Īddressing criticism the government had acted too late on securing RATs, Morrison had on Wednesday promised to procure up to 52 million kits this month and urged state leaders to drop requirements for workers in most industries to take daily tests. Morrison's Liberal-National coalition government is seeking ways to loosen regulations in Australia's transport and food sectors to ease supply chain and workforce disruptions that have led to empty supermarket shelves. Australian Truckers Threaten To Strike, Block All Highways Until COVID Lockdowns End They've been told they aren't allowed to talk to anyone, not even their family or neighbors, and their lockdown laws have been enforced with extreme prejudice. The National Cabinet did agree to consider recognising New Zealand licenses for truck drivers to meet a shortage in that sector. "We had a good discussion today and it is not something that we believe, collectively, we should be pursuing at this time," Morrison told a media conference. Earlier this week he scrapped visa fees for foreign backpackers and students wanting to work and study in Australia.īut most States consider forklift operation to be high-risk work which requires a licence available only to 18s and over, and after a meeting with State premiers on Thursday, Morrison said the proposal had proved a non-starter. Prime Minister Scott Morrison had floated a proposal to lower the minimum age of forklift drivers from 18 to 16, seeking solutions for a shortage of workers now hobbling the economy. There’s guys who plan on parking on the side of the road, parking at home, and at truck stops.SYDNEY, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Australia has ruled out letting teenagers as young as 16 drive forklift trucks to tackle a shortage of workers in coronavirus-hit supply chains, as it scrambles to scoop up millions of home testing kits needed to keep businesses functioning.Ī sudden surge in coronavirus cases in recent weeks has seen hundreds of thousands of workers benched by illness or the need to isolate, leading states to quickly lower the isolation requirement to seven days. There are guys that plan on putting their trucks across the road. “If they’re out on the road, shut your truck down. “On August 31st, on Tuesday, we’re asking that everybody not go to work,” he said in a video on TikTok. A truck driver who goes by the handle thedisrespectedtrucker3 on TikTok urged drivers to stay home to protest vaccine mandates that many companies have instituted. News of the planned protest spread across the globe, with several truck drivers in the United States voicing their support and vowing to join the protest on August 31. "The only way we are going to take back our country is by the way truck drivers have come together to stop moving," he added. "Everything in your house, from your TVs, fridges, to the food you eat arrives to you from truck drivers" But Australia, if the truck tires stop rolling, Australia stops rolling," vocal lockdown opponent Romeo Georges said in a video on Facebook. "I am a truckie, and I am a very proud truckie. What that means is you need to go shopping now, get what you can for the next week or two, load your fridge, freezers."Īfter that video went viral, dozens of other truck drivers responded and offered their support to protest the restrictions. "The truckies are going to shut down the country. The truckies are doing it," a truck driver said in a video on social media. ![]() According to the Daily Mail,m the truckers have vowed to shut down the highways across Australia next week and urged people to stock up on food and other groceries. A group of truck drivers from Australia are planning a major protest against the country's strict coronavirus lockdown measures.
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