A Sydney hotel worker has tested positive to Covid-19, ending the state’s 26-day streak of no locally acquired cases.

Confirmed by the NSW health minister Brad Hazzard, it is said the woman worked at both the Ibis and Novotel hotels in Darling Harbour doing ‘domestic work’.

The woman’s test returned positive yesterday morning, however her five family members returned negative results, further investigations are now underway.
 

Singapore has given a US startup their approval to sell lab-grown chicken meat, a world-first regulatory approval for a slaughter-free meat product according to the organisation.

In its first launch, the meat will be sold in the form of chicken nuggets at a restaurant in Singapore with its price similar to that of premium chicken.

The introduction of this new food product reflects a surge in demand for alternatives due to environmental, health and animal welfare concerns.
 

The UK has approved the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, becoming the first country to approve a vaccine for the virus, with 800,000 vaccines doses set to arrive soon.

As the vaccines will be stored in hospitals, they are likely to be used there initially, before staff and residents of elderly care homes are prioritised first. 

While the vaccine will not be compulsory, it will be free and accessible from hospitals, specialised vaccination clinics and community GPs and pharmacists.
 

Transport minister Mark Bailey has announced that public transport fares will be frozen in 2021 in order to encourage commuters to return following the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns.

TransLink has been hiking public transport fares since 2018, but this and the COVID-19 lockdown have caused a decrease in public transport users by about 80% at the height of the pandemic. 

In addition to freezing fares, a new app that will forecast transport capacity and extra bus and train services will be added to aid and prepare commuters for social distancing.

The man responsible for recently prompting Adelaide’s strict three-day lockdown will not face any criminal charges for his actions.

A taskforce was dispatched after the man lied to authorities stating that he worked at a local pizza restaurant when he only went there to collect a takeaway order, leading to a false implication that the area’s coronavirus strain was extremely contagious.

The South Australian police stated there was not enough evidence against the man to press adequate charges.
 

The world’s most complete and best preserved triceratops fossil will go on display at the Melbourne Museum from next year.

The 67-million-year-old skeleton was unearthed in the United States being equated to the Mona Lisa in rarity and value, weighing in with an estimated $3 million dollar price tag.

It is expected that the display will attract a crowd with many scientists across the world anticipated to come and study the specimen.
 

New Zealand has declared a climate emergency and promised to achieve a neutral carbon footprint within five years.

Yesterday Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern formerly declared the climate emergency status, fulfilling her election campaign promise.

New Zealand joins Japan, South Korea, Argentina, Italy, Spain and Ireland who have also made their promise to neutralise carbon emissions, however Australia’s federal government is yet to follow suit.