Commentary On Feb. 21, 2021, then-Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison expressed his intention to make COVID-19 vaccines “as mandatory as possible.” He declared that, in his opinion, the nation should have a target of 95 percent vaccination. “I would expect it to be as mandatory as you could possibly make it,” he told Melbourne radio…

Victoria has recorded 1029 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths as the state approaches its 90 percent double-dosed vaccination target. The figures bring Victoria’s total number of active cases to 9533 as the state government sets to gather enough support to pass its controversial Pandemic Bill. There are currently 316 people hospitalised due to the…

Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Australians could look forward to a “bright summer” as COVID-19 restrictions ease across the states and the economy recovers. Frydenberg told parliament during question time that the federal government had already spent $17 billion to support the households and businesses during the pandemic. “This has helped support households and businesses…

Commentary As the first tranche of COVID-19 restrictions lifted earlier this week, the people of New South Wales (NSW) enjoyed their first taste of freedom after four months of strict lockdown and enforced seclusion. Although vaccination rates in the state were low in July, once the NSW government-linked freedoms to needles, the rates shot up…

Australia’s Northern Territory is set to impose one of the world’s strictest COVID-19 mandates for workers, as the country plans to reopen its borders. During a press briefing on Wednesday, Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner imposed a Nov. 12 deadline for frontline and public facing workers to receive their first dose of a COVID-19…

The first batch of one million Moderna vaccine doses will arrive in Sydney on Friday night, followed by a second shipment due on the weekend, before being distributed to states and territories next week. Health Minister Greg Hunt said 1,800 pharmacies will begin to administer Moderna vaccines to people from next week while 4,500 GPs…

The artwork of prominent Australian artist, poet, and political cartoonist Michael Leunig was pulled from the planned posters of the 2022 National Folk Festival (NFF) for his views on the COVID-19 vaccine. In a statement to The Epoch Times, the NFF board acknowledged Leunig’s importance in the Australian creative landscape but said the festival hadn’t…

Over 108,000 Australians have signed a petition to the federal Parliament against the use of vaccines on adolescents aged 12 to 16. The petition comes after the nation’s immunisation advisory body approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine (Comirnaty) on Australians aged 12 to 15 from Sept. 13 onwards. The petition, Immediately Stop COVID-19 Vaccines…

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants to see families together again by Christmas but has explained that getting to zero community cases with the Delta variant of the CCP virus would be incredibly difficult. New South Wales reported 344 new daily cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, while Victoria recorded 20 new cases forcing an extension…

Queensland (QLD) Chief Health Officer Jeanette Young said she was “struggling to understand” how a 17-year-old Brisbane schoolgirl has contracted COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus. The Australian student became unwell on Thursday and tested positive overnight. QLD Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said the girl’s family of five, who live in the Brisbane…