1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 1: Good morning and welcome to the Daily Olds. Today is 2 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: the twenty fourth of August. It is also the opening 3 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: ceremony of the Paralympics, and here at TDA we are 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: more than excited. Everybody needs a bit of a distraction 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: and there's nothing better than these inspiring athletes to get 6 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: us there. Sam, what else is making news today? 7 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 2: I'm really happy the Olympics sized hole in my heart 8 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 2: will be filled. Elsewhere, it's all about COVID nineteen. I 9 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 2: hate to bring anybody that surprise, but the virus is 10 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:32,520 Speaker 2: dominating the headlines. We also have some more news from Afghanistan, 11 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 2: and then we're going to take a deep dive across 12 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 2: the ditch and look at New Zealand's current threat from 13 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 2: the Delta variant. 14 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: Yesterday, New South Wales recorded eight hundred and eighteen locally 15 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:45,360 Speaker 1: acquired cases and we know that at least forty two 16 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 1: of those were infectious in the community, with several hundred 17 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 1: still under investigation. Sadly, there were also another three deaths recorded. 18 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: Over in Victoria, there were seventy one locally acquired cases 19 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: and fifty five of those were infectious in the commune. 20 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: This is not a good number for Victoria to be 21 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: seeing and here's what Premier Dan Andrews said about it yesterday. 22 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: At least sixteen of those were in isolation for the 23 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 1: entirety of their infectious period, but obviously sixteen out of 24 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: seventy one is I significant concern. Finally, the Act recorded 25 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: sixteen locally acquired cases and three of those were infectious 26 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 1: in the community. 27 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,959 Speaker 2: On a federal level, yesterday, the Federal government announced that 28 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 2: childcare services who are in a Commonwealth declared hot spot 29 00:01:27,680 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 2: will be eligible for payments of twenty five percent of 30 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 2: their pre lockdown revenue. That's a lot to get your 31 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 2: head around, but basically the payments are expected to be 32 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 2: made available to around three thy six hundred services in 33 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 2: Greater Sydney, about nine hundred after school services in Melbourne, 34 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 2: and almost three hundred services in the ACT. 35 00:01:46,959 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 1: Every day, for the past couple of days, we've been 36 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: bringing you news from Afghanistan about how Australia's rescue mission 37 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 1: is going there. Yesterday we found out that another four 38 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 1: hundred and seventy people have been rescued by Australian forces. 39 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: The most recent rescue flight included Australians, Afghan nationals and 40 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,280 Speaker 1: British citizens who were taken to a nearby military base 41 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: in Dubai to be process and this has been the 42 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: same process as we've seen with all the other rescue flights. 43 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: This brings the total number of people who have been 44 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: rescued by Australian forces to eight hundred since Cable fell 45 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:19,359 Speaker 1: to the Taliban just last week. 46 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 2: And today's good news. You cannot go past the start 47 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 2: of the Paralympics. You'll be able to watch the opening 48 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 2: ceremony from nine pm tonight on Channel seven. Australia has 49 00:02:29,120 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 2: one hundred and seventy nine athletes competing across eighteen sports, 50 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 2: with eighty four of those athletes making their Paralympic debut. 51 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 2: Tonight's opening ceremony will last about three hours and the 52 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 2: theme of the opening ceremony is United by Emotion. However, 53 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 2: just like the Olympics opening ceremony, no fans will be 54 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 2: present in the stadium. Things in Australia at the moment 55 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 2: seem pretty grim if we're talking about COVID nineteen, but 56 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 2: it is largely a universal experience and one country that, 57 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 2: at least personally, I've always looked to as the gold 58 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 2: standard for the elimination of COVID nineteen is New Zealand. 59 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 2: I don't know why, but it's always stuck out to 60 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 2: me that the boys from the Inspired Unemployed have actually 61 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,799 Speaker 2: stayed in New Zealand over this whole time because it's 62 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,920 Speaker 2: been a place where you could ski, live freely, work 63 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 2: freely and move around. However, that has all changed in 64 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 2: the last week. Here was Prime Minister Jacinda Adern speaking 65 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 2: at a press conference yesterday. 66 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,519 Speaker 3: Delta has changed the rules of the game, but we've 67 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 3: changed our approach to with hardened, our alert levels, widened, 68 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 3: our contact tracing, required more mask wearing and we are 69 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 3: testing more people. It is absolutely possible to get on 70 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 3: top of this. We just need to keep it up 71 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 3: and ensure that we're not in restrictions any longer than 72 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 3: we need to be. 73 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,600 Speaker 2: So here's a basic rundown about what's happening over the ditch. 74 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 2: They are now in level four lockdowns across the entire country, 75 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 2: and that's because the country's Delta outbreak has climbed to 76 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 2: more than nine one hundred cases. Seventy two of those 77 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 2: cases are linked to other community cases, and the main 78 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 2: concentration of cases is Auckland and Auckland's lockdown has actually 79 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 2: been extended a week longer than the rest of the country. 80 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 2: For the rest of the country besides Auckland, they'll be 81 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,040 Speaker 2: in this strict lockdown until Friday, and it's being heralded 82 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 2: as some of the strictest lockdowns in the world. Of course, 83 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:24,720 Speaker 2: the big question on everybody's lips in New Zealand is 84 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 2: where did patient zero come from? And genomic sequencing has 85 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:32,279 Speaker 2: traced the original case identified in the Auckland cluster to 86 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 2: somebody who arrived on a red zone flight from Australia. 87 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 2: This person entered managed isolation at Auckland's Crown Plaza hotel. 88 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:42,919 Speaker 2: Now this managed isolation program is a little different to 89 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 2: the hotel quarantine program in Australia, but nonetheless the Kiwi 90 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 2: government have actually put a halt on new people coming 91 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 2: into the country, even if they are from New Zealand. 92 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:54,280 Speaker 2: That delay should only last a couple of days though, 93 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:57,360 Speaker 2: until Kiwee authorities get on top of the outbreak. They're 94 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 2: attempting to contact about fourteen thousand close contacts. Only half 95 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:04,280 Speaker 2: of those have been contacted so far. Now, the key 96 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 2: thing to take away from New Zealand's experience at the moment, 97 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:09,720 Speaker 2: and what we're looking for in the next week or 98 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 2: so is that they're still chasing elimination. Zara, can you 99 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 2: quickly take us through what exactly the elimination strategy is 100 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,279 Speaker 2: and how that's different to what we're currently moving through 101 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 2: in Australia. 102 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 1: So elimination is what the title would suggest, is that 103 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:28,279 Speaker 1: it is to eliminate any trace of COVID nineteen or 104 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:30,919 Speaker 1: any other infection for that matter, from the community. So 105 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:34,119 Speaker 1: when New Zealand talks about an elimination strategy, that's about 106 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:37,360 Speaker 1: getting down to COVID zero and maintaining that COVID zero, 107 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:41,320 Speaker 1: so maintaining no cases in the community. That is very 108 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 1: different to the reality in Australia. While leaders have never 109 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 1: said that we were seeking an elimination strategy, last year, 110 00:05:48,279 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 1: the strategy was an aggressive suppression, which by all suggestions 111 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: was basically just synonymous to elimination, but that word was 112 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,400 Speaker 1: never used. But now we're facing a very different reality 113 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 1: in New South Wales. We have eight hundred cases a 114 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 1: day in Victoria. It looks like cases are climbing. The 115 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:07,400 Speaker 1: ACT hasn't managed to get its outbreak under control, so 116 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: now we're having the conversation about whether we try to 117 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 1: get those cases back down to a really low case 118 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: load or whether we live with it in the community. 119 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 1: And that's the jargon that political leaders, especially Prime Minister 120 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: Scott Morrison and New South Wales Premier Gladys barre Jiclian, 121 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,719 Speaker 1: they've been using that very specific language in recent days. 122 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 2: Australian cities are actually being used very closely by Kiwi authorities, 123 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 2: including the Prime Minister, to explain to New Zealand what 124 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 2: exactly the choices are ahead of them. At the press 125 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:40,279 Speaker 2: conference yesterday, Jacinda Adern talked about Melbourne and the ACT 126 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 2: as examples of cities where they have bubbling low numbers. 127 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 2: She of course didn't use New South Wales in that 128 00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 2: example because New South Wales numbers are getting a little 129 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 2: out of control at the moment. In some ways, it's 130 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 2: like looking at a version of Melbourne or the ACT 131 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 2: a couple of weeks ago, and it'll be really interesting 132 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 2: to see how New Zealand manages a delta outbreak. 133 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:02,599 Speaker 1: It does feel like on this side of the world 134 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: there's a sense that we're doing things for the first time, 135 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: like we're seeing Delta unleash itself for the first time, 136 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 1: or that is untrodden territory, when in actuality that is 137 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 1: not the case. The Delta variant is present in most 138 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 1: countries overseas and there they are living with it, but 139 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: with a much higher vaccination rate, So that calls into 140 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: question how Australia and New Zealand will deal with COVID 141 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: nineteen when we have high vaccination rates but still presumably 142 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: some cases in the community. 143 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 2: For more on our ongoing battle against the Delta variant, 144 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 2: make sure to check out the Daily Ods on Instagram. 145 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:37,240 Speaker 2: It would also mean a lot if you guys left 146 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 2: a review on this podcast. We'd really love to know 147 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 2: what you think, and leaving a review can really help 148 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 2: us as independent media, to make a difference and help 149 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 2: us get noticed by other listeners. Have an epic Tuesday.