New South Wales recorded seven new cases of COVID-19; all reported in returned travelers in hotel quarantine. Victoria has recorded its tenth day in a row with no new infections or deaths.

With five months until April, plans are already underway for ANZAC Day, with Queensland considering a scaled-back coronavirus-safe parade at the Ekka Showgrounds. The invite-only event would mean many veterans would miss out. Returned Services League Queensland’s Tony Ferris noted the importance of having a COVID-safe event as many veterans fall in the age demographic most susceptible to the virus.

The Queensland Maritime Museum will close permanently at the end of the year if it does not receive urgent funding. The museum, which sits on the Brisbane River, reopened in mid-September under a COVID-safe plan, but with seventy percent of visitors hailing from overseas and interstate, the museum has seen a major reduction in revenue. The museum’s board chair Captain Kasper Kuiper said they need a big donation from either private funding or the government to stay open.

The number of global coronavirus cases has passed 50 million, with October being the worst month of the pandemic so far. Over 1.25 million deaths have been recorded globally since December, with Europe again becoming the epicenter of the pandemic amidst a second wave. There is concern that official data may only reflect a fraction of the number of infections, as many countries are only testing symptomatic and serious cases.

World leaders have congratulated Democratic nominee Joe Biden on his election victory as he prepares to become the 46th President of the United States of America. Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama congratulated Biden on Twitter urging the USA to return to the Paris Agreement on climate change. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on becoming the first person of Indian heritage to hold the office.

A leaked internal review of the Northern Territory’s Aboriginal homelands schools has found major funding inequalities and a lack of government support. Unsafe school buildings and a lack of support for Aboriginal teachers has made the long-standing attendance problem worse. Education Minister Lauren Moss said the review of homelands education was still ongoing. 

Victoria’s so-called “ring of steel” dividing metropolitan Melbourne from the rest of the state has expired as the state emerges from a lockdown brought about by a second COVID wave. The 25-kilometer travel limit has also been scrapped and limits in public spaces have been eased. Melbourne has seen ten consecutive days without a new case or death.

Queensland mango growers have voiced their frustrations over export subsidy disparities compared to growers in other states. Because of the pandemic, the rate of exporting fruit is down, with fears this could lead to an overabundance for local consumers resulting in a price crash. Australian Mango Growers Association chair Ben Martin has called on the Federal Government to work with growers and groups to develop sustainable market access.