Queensland health workers have spoken out, reporting their personal protective equipment (PPE) is out of date and does not fit.

Queensland Health has a guideline to ensure appropriate PPE is worn to prevent transmission, and for annual tests to be performed by healthcare workers to check masks fit correctly.

However, some nurses have stated their PPE tests haven’t been conducted for over 10 years. The Nurses Professional Association of Queensland is appealing for annual fit testing of masks to become the law.

Ravenswood gold mine in North Queensland is set to receive a major development after several years of planning.

Ravenswood Gold CEO Brett Fletcher stated the expansion will include a new open pit mine, $200 million to improve ore process efficiency, and a new tailings dam.

The mine is set to produce up to 250,000 ounces of gold a year, making it the largest mine in Queensland.

South Australia has received a fresh load of new coronavirus restrictions in a bid to control the outbreak in Adelaide.

Premier Steven Marshall announced South Australia will experience a two-week restriction period which will see the closure of gyms, and limits on private gatherings as well as funerals.

Marshall announced the Australian Defence Force will be assisting South Australia to contain the infections.

Australia’s wine industry is concerned its billion-dollar trade with China has come to a stop.

The Australian Grape and Wine group stated they enquired with exporters as to whether any shipments had made it through China’s customs after an unofficial ban was announced two weeks ago. So far there has been no reports of success.

Chief Executive Tony Battaglene advised he heard shipments have been “subject to increased testing…to increased scrutiny of documents and it’s definitely slowing any clearance of customs”.

A second COVID-19 vaccine under trial has proved to be 94.5 percent effective in preventing the virus.

Moderna is the second US pharmaceutical company to report effective vaccine results alongside company Pfizer.

Although safety data and regulatory review is required, the US believes two vaccines may be approved for emergency use by December this year. Both vaccines have been developed with new technology called messenger RNA, which has been a powerful tool in fighting the virus.

Over 1,000 people have been arrested during fresh protests over the disputed presidential election in Belarus over the weekend. Protesters took to the streets of the capital Minsk on Sunday after a protester was allegedly beaten to death by security forces. The disputed election result, in which Alexander Lukashenko declared himself President, has led to a months-long political crisis in Belarus. 

US President Donald Trump has taken to Twitter to seemingly acknowledge Joe Biden’s election win, only to repeat unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud. Meanwhile, the law firm leading the President’s legal effort to challenge the election results in the state of Pennsylvania has withdrawn from his campaign. The Trump-led General Services Administration has not yet recognised Joe Biden as the President-elect and has prevented his team from gaining access to government funding and intelligence needed to ensure a smooth presidential transition.

The findings of the report into allegations of serious misconduct and potential war crimes by Australian Special Forces in Afghanistan are due to be released on Thursday. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced last week a special investigator would deal with the findings and prepare evidence for possible prosecutions. The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force has spent more than four years investigating accusations of war crimes committed by Australian troops. 

Following the COVID-19 cluster outbreak in South Australia, the Northern Territory Chief Minister has declared the State a hotspot. The Territory joins Tasmania and Western Australia in reintroducing mandatory quarantine for travelers from South Australia. Queensland is expected to make an announcement concerning travel restrictions later today.