(Reuters) – Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:
Melbourne welcomes vaccinated Sydney residents without quarantine
Travel restrictions between Sydney and Melbourne, Australia’s largest cities, eased on Wednesday as Victoria opened its borders to fully-vaccinated residents from New South Wales amid a rapid rise in immunisation levels.
With cases trending lower in New South Wales, including Sydney, residents will be allowed quarantine-free entry into Victoria for the first time in more than three months. Travellers from Melbourne who wish to enter Sydney, however, must undergo a two-week home quarantine.
U.S. FDA to recommend Pfizer, Moderna boosters for people 40 and older
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to soon recommend that persons 40 and older receive a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 booster shots, CNN reported on Tuesday.
U.S. workers face job losses as vaccine mandates kick in
Thousands of unvaccinated workers across the United States are facing potential job losses as a growing number of states, cities and private companies start to enforce mandates for inoculation against COVID-19.
While controversial, the mandates have been effective at convincing many hesitant workers to get vaccinated against the virus, which has killed more than 700,000 people in the United States. Some 77% of eligible Americans have received at least one shot of a vaccine, White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters last week.
Vaccinations necessary for Australian Open visas
All players that want a visa to compete in the Australian Open will need to be fully vaccinated, the country’s minister for immigration said on Wednesday, putting the participation of World number one Novak Djokovic in doubt. Djokovic, who is bidding for a men’s record 21st Grand Slam singles title, has declined to reveal his vaccination status, and has said he is unsure if he would defend his Australian Open crown.
Australia has shut its international borders to non-citizens and non-permanent residents for 18 months, though there have been some high-profile exceptions. International travel is expected to begin for Australian citizens within weeks, with tourism expected to resume in early 2022.
U.S. CDC considers ‘test-to-stay’ program in schools
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it is considering a coronavirus “test-to-stay” program in schools instead of quarantine. “Test to stay” is a practice comprised of regular testing and contact tracing to allow close contacts to remain in the classroom, while maintaining other layered prevention strategies, such as universal masking, to reduce the spread of COVID-19, according to the CDC website.
The program is for students who may have been exposed to COVID-19 in school and can still attend classes in person rather than quarantine at home as long as they test negative for the disease and show no symptoms.
(Compiled by Karishma Singh)
