Tasmania has reopened its borders to Queensland, excluding high-risk locations, from yesterday evening- but will maintain its strict borders with New South Wales, the ACT, the Northern Territory and Victoria. 

Premier Peter Gutwein warned residents yesterday, saying ““If you don’t follow the rules, we will catch you. You will be fined. If you come from a high-risk jurisdiction, you will be turned around”.

High risk arrivals will now also have to produce a negative test before arriving in Tasmania.

The Byron Bay Blues Festival has been postponed for the second time as COVID-19 cases cease to fall. 

Bluesfest director, Peter Noble, wrote in a statement: “We have rescheduled back to our usual timing with dates over the Easter long weekend next year” and assured festival-goers their tickets will roll-over for next year. 

New data has been released showing that 70% of Sydney’s COVID-19 cases were transmitted at home. 

The New South Wales Government has now opened up a 5th hotel to prevent more household transmission and house those who cannot safely isolate at home.

New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, has announced the country will go into a 3-day lockdown after recording it’s first community COVID-19 case in over 6 months. 

An unvaccinated man in his late 50s tested positive to the virus with authorities anticipating the highly contagious delta-strain. 

This will be New Zealand’s strictest lockdown with all businesses to shut, aside from essential services such as supermarkets and pharmacies.

Former UN chief Ban Ki Moon has warned that Australia faces international punishment for lagging on climate change action. 

Moon claimed Australia is ‘out of step’ with the world on tackling climate change and that the nation is only doing half as much to reduce emissions compared to other developed nations.

The federal government has so far refused to join other nations in committing to reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

Federal Senator Matt Canavan has been under fire after posting a controversial tweet, questioning whether the Taliban are going to commit Afghanistan to a net zero policy.

Nationals Leader, Barnaby Joyce, criticized Canavan, saying “The two issues are disparate and should not be conflated,” and former Nationals Leader, Michael Mccormack said the tweet was, “disappointing, insensitive and unnecessary”

Canavan claimed the tweet was intended to provoke and shock people out of their so-called first-world problems.

Local Playgrounds and skate parks across Greater Melbourne have been roped off to prevent the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant.

It comes after two playgrounds and skateparks were added to the states covid-19 exposure site list, forcing health authorities to renew their warning about the dangers of coronavirus in children. 

There are currently 50 children under the age of 10 fighting the virus in the state.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has warned that Queensland's tourism industry will see its toughest days if New South Wales does not get a hold of the delta variant. 

While making an announcement to help the struggling tourism industry, the premier made a grim prediction that New South Wales could still be in the grips of the Delta variant at Christmas. 

She said Queensland economy’s “toughest days” would still be ahead should NSW, and potentially Victoria, still be under tight restrictions in December.

The Queensland Government has secured a deal with the Federal Government over the construction of the proposed Pinkenba Quarantine Facility with hopes it’ll be in use by mid-2022. 

The facility will have a thousand beds and will be constructed under federal management, however, once completed the site will be managed by the State Government.