What we learned today, Saturday 29 January
And that’s where we’ll leave you on this Saturday evening. Here’s what we learned today:
- Death numbers from Covid remain high across the country, with 97 nationally – just shy of yesterday’s total of 98, a grim record for the pandemic. All the main statistics from each state are in our National Covid summary, which you can find pinned to the top of this blog, and you can read more about what’s happened in Covid news today in our wrap.
- Wild weather has caused damage and flooding across the country, with parts of Victoria, NSW and Queensland cleaning up today after being hit by torrential rain on Friday afternoon, with homes being left without power, properties flooding and widespread damage.
- Flooding in South Australia has damaged rail infrastructure and cut food supply lines to the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Shortages of food and essential supplies are now a concern in Darwin, Western Australia and remote towns including Coober Pedy, but the federal government has sought to reassure people they will not go without food.
- The federal government has announced it will spend an extra $50m over the next four years to pull east coast koalas back from the brink. The money will underpin a national koala recovery plan, promised after the devastating 2020 bushfires.
- Kanye West will have to be fully vaccinated if he wants to give concerts in Australia, Scott Morrison said on Saturday, after reports the hip-hop artist was planning an Australian tour in March.
Thanks so much for sticking with us and enjoy your Saturday evening. See you next time.
Updated
Listening to the New South Wales premier, Dominic Perrottet, speaking on Friday, you’d be forgiven for thinking Victoria was a new member of his cabinet.
Perrottet said the NSW government had “worked alongside” Victoria to deliver thousands of rapid antigen tests before schools resume next week. They were “the only states in the country” that could boast as much, he said.
On the business support package likely to be announced in the coming days, Perrottet again referenced Victoria – the NSW treasurer, Matt Kean, was working “very closely” with his southern counterparts “because we’re in a very, very similar situation”, he said.
The bonhomie is apparently shared. On Thursday the Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews, said the two premiers “work together as close as we can”.
For anyone who lived in NSW or Victoria through the first two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, this developing bromance between leaders from opposite ends of the ideological divide is a jarring shift.
Benita Kolovos and Michael McGowan have more here:
Updated
Meanwhile, in Melbourne...
Doesn't look like the rain has helped with the Glenferrie Road bridge works pic.twitter.com/eMwxlitkFo
— Andrew Lund (@andrew_lund) January 29, 2022
