11Sep
First-Res N95 Face Mask

Questions Raised Over Face Masks Used In Australian Hospitals

September 11, 2020By

Victorian and NSW public hospitals are using a batch of respirators that are at risk of tearing and may not meet Australian manufacturing standards.

The masks did not gain National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) certification as an N95 respirator until 7 June; however, many of the respirators currently in use across Victoria and New South Wales come from a batch manufactured on 5 May.

Wing You, General Manager of BYD Australia, told newsGP the respirator is ‘fully compliant with Australian standards’ and the batch is ‘definitely’ safe.

‘These masks were manufactured in May. They didn’t get approval from NIOSH, but they are the same model,’ he said.

READ MORE
14Aug
First Res Face Mask

Coronavirus Update: Which Type Of Face Mask Is Most Effective Against COVID-19?

August 14, 2020By

Face masks are recommended as a simple barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from travelling into the air and onto other people when the person wearing the mask coughs, sneezes, talks, or raises their voice. This is called source control.

So, which mask will best protect you and which will protect the community from unknowing carriers of COVID-19?

Face masks are no replacement for physical distancing and good hand hygiene. You should limit your travel and, where possible, avoid any large gatherings.

READ MORE
05Aug
First-res face mask rules

Coronavirus Update: Countries Are Extending the Rules. You Might Have To Wear Face Masks Outdoors.

August 5, 2020By

Cases are ticking upwards in parts of Europe and the Americas are still battling to contain vast Covid-19 outbreaks.

The second wave of infections are starting to be felt, some governments are reaching for a new tool that many public health experts have been touting for months: stricter mask mandates.

In recent days, masks have become mandatory in all public spaces — indoors or outdoors — in Madrid, Greece, Portugal’s Madeira Islands and Hong Kong.

READ MORE
31Jul
first-res PM Scott Morrison

Coronavirus Update: PM Scott Morrison Speaks To Victorian Premier Over The Second Wave

July 31, 2020By

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has spoken to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to discuss necessary support during the state’s second wave of COVID-19.

Scott Morrison says the response to the second wave of Covid-19 infections cannot be shutting the country down to try to eliminate the virus, and he’s moved to reassure people his government will not be withdrawing income support “for those in need”.

READ MORE
17Jul
first-res surge in COVID-19 cases latest

Coronavirus Updates: U.S. Rise Over 77,000, COVID-19 Cases In One Day

July 17, 2020By

According to a Reuters tally, the United States reported more than 77,000 new COVID-19 cases in a single day, the biggest increase ever reported by a country.

The United States faces a bleak summer as infections surge and many states are forced to close bars and popular beaches to try to curb the rise.

The United States has reported over 3 million cases and 132,000 deaths from the virus, putting President Donald Trumps pandemic strategy under scrutiny.

READ MORE
17Jul
first-res Coronavirus Conspiracy

Coronavirus Conspiracy Theory Warning Of ‘Imminent Danger’ Dropped Into Letterboxes In Canberra

July 17, 2020By

ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith has condemned a letter dropped into Canberra letterboxes falsely claiming coronavirus testing clinics pose an “imminent danger”. 

The flyer, titled an “Important Covid-19 Health Warning”, falsely warned that 30 percent of people who went to a testing site have contracted the virus during the testing process.

READ MORE
16Jul
first-res Perth Stadium

Coronavirus Update: Perth Set To Host 30,000 Fans Easing Coronavirus Curbs

July 16, 2020By

Australia’s most isolated city will become the spectator capital of the world on Sunday when 30,000 fans descend upon Perth Stadium as Australian Rules football resumes in the country’s west amid easing COVID-19 restrictions.

Neesham said talent will only take teams so far this season given the upheaval and off-field distractions.
“Mental strength would be a critical factor in this current environment,” he added. “It’ll be a deserved winner at the very end.”

READ MORE
15Jul
first-res Tokyo Olympics

Japan Adviser Said That Tokyo Olympics Is At Risk If Coronavirus Mutates

July 15, 2020By

Kiyoshi Kurokawa, a prominent Japanese government adviser, said Tokyo Olympics may have to be postponed again if the novel coronavirus mutates into a stronger pathogen.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told Reuters the Olympics, originally scheduled to start this month but put off to 2021 because of the pandemic, must go ahead next year as a symbol of world unity in overcoming coronavirus.

READ MORE