COVID-19 Update: PM says $2 billion Moderna deal will 'pandemic-proof' the nation

This is your update on COVID-19 in Australia for March 24.

Low vaccination rates among primary school-aged children causing a spike in COVID cases in Queensland

Low vaccination rates among five to 11-year-olds is contributing to a spike in child COVID-19 cases in Queensland. Source: Getty Images/JohnnyGreig

  • Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a $2 billion deal with Moderna to secure 100 million mRNA vaccine doses to fortify Australians for the next decade.
  • COVID cases have risen by 55 per cent in Queensland's state schools with a lag in vaccination pinpointed as a possible cause. 14,000 school children now have COVID with the Palaszczuk government considering a re-introduction of the mask mandate in schools.
  • In New South Wales, COVID cases have skyrocketed 400 per cent in the past five weeks.
  • The federal and Victorian governments have announced a vaccine production facility will be constructed to produce vaccines from 2024 but no site chosen as yet.
  • New South Wales has reported eight new COVID-19 deaths, while 58.8 per cent of people have had three vaccine doses.
  • Six people lost their lives due to the virus in Queensland.
  • 64.4 per cent of people aged 18 and over in Victoria have now received three vaccine doses.
  • NSW Health has reported that a two-month-old baby died from the Omicron variant in December last year and offered condolences to the child's family. A two-year-old child, whose death was reported on Monday, also died as a result of Omicron.
  • There are now 53,763 active cases of COVID-19 in Victoria.
  • South Australia's teachers' union has called for the last week of this term to be cancelled due to the high numbers of staff and students being absent due to COVID-19 infection and isolation. 
  • China has withdrawn as host of the Weightlifting World Championships due to rising COVID-19 cases.

COVID-19 Australian Stats

New South Wales reported 1180 patients hospitalised with 43 in intensive care. There were eight deaths and 24,803 new cases of COVID-19.

In Victoria, 244 people are in hospital with 25 in ICU and two on ventilators. There were 11 deaths and 10,259 new infections.

In Queensland, there are almost 11,000 new COVID-19 cases and six deaths. 271 people are hospitalised with COVID-19, with 11 patients in ICU.

Tasmania recorded 2009 new COVID-19 cases with and one death. 29 people have been hospitalised due to the virus with nine of those in ICU.

In the ACT, there are 1278 new cases with 42 people in hospital with three of these in intensive care. As of today, 79.8 per cent of Canberra children aged five to 11 have received a vaccine dose and 72 per cent of Canberrans aged 16 and older have received their booster. 



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Published 24 March 2022 12:41pm


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