Melbourne's construction industry will be shut down for two weeks following a violent anti-vaccination protest outside the CFMEU's Melbourne headquarters.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The closure was announced on Monday night after the building was damaged and riot police deployed in chaotic scenes. Only critical infrastructure, including hospitals and ongoing level crossing removal works, will continue during the shutdown - giving time for the workforce to get vaccinated.
The protesters, not all of whom were union members, want the union to defy new regulations requiring workers to have proof of their first vaccination.
The government said all sites will need to demonstrate compliance with the chief health officer's directions prior to reopening including the requirement for workers to show evidence of having had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine before they return to work on October 5.
Further north, the NSW-Queensland border bubble is threatening to burst only a week after it was reinstated, with the revelation a COVID-19 case was infectious in several northern NSW communities for two days.
The Northern NSW Local Health District on Monday night confirmed a person had tested positive to the virus on Monday, with their infection to be formally included in the numbers announced on Tuesday.
A lockdown is all but certain for the region.
The updated recommendation from the Doherty Institute is that Australia will need to maintain stay-at-home controls in areas with coronavirus outbreaks while double-dose vaccination coverage is between 70 and 80 per cent.
The institute's modelling underpins a national reopening plan to cautiously exit major lockdowns.
"Medium" public health safety measures should be retained during the transition between the targets in places like NSW and Victoria where cases are still rapidly increasing.
Royal drama The Crown and feel good comedy Ted Lasso have nabbed the top prizes at television's Emmy awards on a night dominated by streaming shows, British talent and rare wins by women.
Chess drama The Queen's Gambit was named best limited series and tied with The Crown for the most wins overall at 11 apiece.
The best drama series win for The Crown gave Netflix its biggest prize so far, while Apple TV+ entered streaming's big league with the best comedy series win for Ted Lasso.
Neither Netflix nor Apple TV+ had previously won a best comedy or best drama series Emmy.
Meantime Western Bulldogs and Melbourne Demon AFL fans can get a last glimpse of their teams before the grand final.
Up to 25,000 fans will attend the Friday captain's runs at Optus Stadium.
The session is a consolation for fans after the traditional grand final parade was ruled out because of COVID-19 risks and logistics issues.
- with AAP