The Latest Breaking News from Mark Butler

Health professionals and emergency services groups warn patients skipping psychology sessions will end up in the emergency department, urging the health minister to restore funding.

FINALLY.

State and territory leaders are urging the federal government to fix Australia's "broken" GP system, saying they want to make healthcare the top priority of 2023's first meeting of national cabinet.

Mark Butler signals measure could be lifted if China provides ‘real-time uploading’ of genomic sequencing of cases

On Thursday, the government's new COVID-19 testing requirements for travellers coming into Australia from China, Hong Kong and Macau began and family and friends in Melbourne and Sydney were keenly awaiting their arrival.

Mark Butler says the government has to keep in line with international expectations as well as Australian health officials, after going against formal advice not to require pre-flight COVID tests on travellers from China.

As COVID-19 cases in China surge and countries, including Australia, impose new travel rules, Chinese Australians are weighing up whether to visit relatives and loved ones.

From midnight, Australia joins a growing number of countries imposing new COVID-19 travel restrictions on people arriving from China, but experts say it is neither fair nor necessary.

Australia’s chief medical officer advised there was not ‘sufficient public health rationale’ for new travel rules.