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RECALL ALERT: Two popular Woolies cheeses spark listeria concerns

Woolworths stores nationwide are issuing a recall on two popular Camembert cheese brands due to potential listeria contamination. The recall specifically pertains to two 125g Camembert cheese products that have been identified as having potential microbial contamination, specifically Listeria monocytogenes. The affected products are the Unicorn Classic Camembert from Snowbrand Australia, trading under the name Unicorn Cheese, and Community Co's French Style Camembert. Both of these cheeses carry Best Before dates of November 8, 2023. These products were available for purchase not only at Woolworths stores in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania but also at other retail outlets, including Natures Best, V & C Food Distributors, and Bills Cheese and Yoghurts in New South Wales, as well as Our United Food Co in Queensland. Select independent stores, such as IGAs in Victoria and Queensland, also stocked these cheeses. Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterium that can pose health risks, particularly to vulnerable individuals such as pregnant women, their unborn babies, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. The Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) issued a statement warning, "Listeria may cause illness in pregnant women and their unborn babies, the elderly, and people with low immune systems." FSANZ advises any consumers who are concerned about their health in relation to these products to seek medical advice and return the items to the place of purchase for a full refund. The affected Camembert cheese products belong to Batch 123123E Est No 287. Consumers seeking more information can contact Snowbrand Australia (Unicorn Cheese) at 02 4423 1266. Images: FSANZ

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"Be alert": Australia Post's urgent plea to motorists

Australia Post has issued an urgent plea for motorists to look out for their local posties, after shocking new data revealed how many postal workers are injured on the job. The data has revealed that during the 2022-23 financial year, 65 posties were injured as a direct result of third-party traffic accidents, with injuries including everything from broken limbs to concussions. Many of these incidents resulted in hospital stays, extended periods of leave and lasting psychological trauma. Australia Post's General Manager of Safety and Wellbeing, Rod Maule, has said that even one vehicle-related accident is too many, and pleaded for motorists to drive safely at all times. "While we want our team to deliver for all Australians, we also want each of them to safely get home to their families at the end of the day," Mr Maule said. "Safety is our number-one priority, which is why we've invested millions of dollars into advanced technology and training to keep our team safe on the road. But it isn't just up to us," he added. "We are asking all drivers to be alert and keep an eye out for our posties, especially over the next few months as we ramp up deliveries in the lead-up to Christmas." The statement comes in the wake of shocking footage going viral of postal workers being hit by motorists. In an incident last month, a postie is seen riding across an intersection when, seemingly out of nowhere, he's struck by another motorist and knocked from his bike causing an injury to his leg. Image credits: Australia Post

Travel Trouble

ChatGPT and other generative AI could foster science denial and misunderstanding – here’s how you can be on alert

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gale-sinatra-1234776">Gale Sinatra</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-california-1265">University of Southern California</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/barbara-k-hofer-1231530">Barbara K. Hofer</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/middlebury-1247">Middlebury</a> Until very recently, if you wanted to know more about a controversial scientific topic – stem cell research, the safety of nuclear energy, climate change – you probably did a Google search. Presented with multiple sources, you chose what to read, selecting which sites or authorities to trust. Now you have another option: You can pose your question to ChatGPT or another generative artificial intelligence platform and quickly receive a succinct response in paragraph form. ChatGPT does not search the internet the way Google does. Instead, it generates responses to queries by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/05/07/ai-beginners-guide/">predicting likely word combinations</a> from a massive amalgam of available online information. Although it has the potential for <a href="https://hbr.org/podcast/2023/05/how-generative-ai-changes-productivity">enhancing productivity</a>, generative AI has been shown to have some major faults. It can <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ai-platforms-like-chatgpt-are-easy-to-use-but-also-potentially-dangerous/">produce misinformation</a>. It can create “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/business/ai-chatbots-hallucination.html">hallucinations</a>” – a benign term for making things up. And it doesn’t always accurately solve reasoning problems. For example, when asked if both a car and a tank can fit through a doorway, it <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/14/technology/openai-new-gpt4.html">failed to consider both width and height</a>. Nevertheless, it is already being used to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/01/17/cnet-ai-articles-journalism-corrections/">produce articles</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/19/technology/ai-generated-content-discovered-on-news-sites-content-farms-and-product-reviews.html">website content</a> you may have encountered, or <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/21/opinion/chatgpt-journalism.html">as a tool</a> in the writing process. Yet you are unlikely to know if what you’re reading was created by AI. As the authors of “<a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/science-denial-9780197683330">Science Denial: Why It Happens and What to Do About It</a>,” we are concerned about how generative AI may blur the boundaries between truth and fiction for those seeking authoritative scientific information. Every media consumer needs to be more vigilant than ever in verifying scientific accuracy in what they read. Here’s how you can stay on your toes in this new information landscape. <h2>How generative AI could promote science denial</h2> Erosion of epistemic trust. All consumers of science information depend on judgments of scientific and medical experts. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02691728.2014.971907">Epistemic trust</a> is the process of trusting knowledge you get from others. It is fundamental to the understanding and use of scientific information. Whether someone is seeking information about a health concern or trying to understand solutions to climate change, they often have limited scientific understanding and little access to firsthand evidence. With a rapidly growing body of information online, people must make frequent decisions about what and whom to trust. With the increased use of generative AI and the potential for manipulation, we believe trust is likely to erode further than <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2022/02/15/americans-trust-in-scientists-other-groups-declines/">it already has</a>. Misleading or just plain wrong. If there are errors or biases in the data on which AI platforms are trained, that <a href="https://theconversation.com/ai-information-retrieval-a-search-engine-researcher-explains-the-promise-and-peril-of-letting-chatgpt-and-its-cousins-search-the-web-for-you-200875">can be reflected in the results</a>. In our own searches, when we have asked ChatGPT to regenerate multiple answers to the same question, we have gotten conflicting answers. Asked why, it responded, “Sometimes I make mistakes.” Perhaps the trickiest issue with AI-generated content is knowing when it is wrong. Disinformation spread intentionally. AI can be used to generate compelling disinformation as text as well as deepfake images and videos. When we asked ChatGPT to “<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/ai-platforms-like-chatgpt-are-easy-to-use-but-also-potentially-dangerous/">write about vaccines in the style of disinformation</a>,” it produced a nonexistent citation with fake data. Geoffrey Hinton, former head of AI development at Google, quit to be free to sound the alarm, saying, “It is hard to see how you can prevent the bad actors from <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/technology/ai-google-chatbot-engineer-quits-hinton.html">using it for bad things</a>.” The potential to create and spread deliberately incorrect information about science already existed, but it is now dangerously easy. Fabricated sources. ChatGPT provides responses with no sources at all, or if asked for sources, may present <a href="https://economistwritingeveryday.com/2023/01/21/chatgpt-cites-economics-papers-that-do-not-exist/">ones it made up</a>. We both asked ChatGPT to generate a list of our own publications. We each identified a few correct sources. More were hallucinations, yet seemingly reputable and mostly plausible, with actual previous co-authors, in similar sounding journals. This inventiveness is a big problem if a list of a scholar’s publications conveys authority to a reader who doesn’t take time to verify them. Dated knowledge. ChatGPT doesn’t know what happened in the world after its training concluded. A query on what percentage of the world has had COVID-19 returned an answer prefaced by “as of my knowledge cutoff date of September 2021.” Given how rapidly knowledge advances in some areas, this limitation could mean readers get erroneous outdated information. If you’re seeking recent research on a personal health issue, for instance, beware. Rapid advancement and poor transparency. AI systems continue to become <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/technology/ai-google-chatbot-engineer-quits-hinton.html">more powerful and learn faster</a>, and they may learn more science misinformation along the way. Google recently announced <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/10/technology/google-ai-products.html">25 new embedded uses of AI in its services</a>. At this point, <a href="https://theconversation.com/regulating-ai-3-experts-explain-why-its-difficult-to-do-and-important-to-get-right-198868">insufficient guardrails are in place</a> to assure that generative AI will become a more accurate purveyor of scientific information over time. <h2>What can you do?</h2> If you use ChatGPT or other AI platforms, recognize that they might not be completely accurate. The burden falls to the user to discern accuracy. Increase your vigilance. <a href="https://www.niemanlab.org/2022/12/ai-will-start-fact-checking-we-may-not-like-the-results/">AI fact-checking apps may be available soon</a>, but for now, users must serve as their own fact-checkers. <a href="https://www.nsta.org/science-teacher/science-teacher-januaryfebruary-2023/plausible">There are steps we recommend</a>. The first is: Be vigilant. People often reflexively share information found from searches on social media with little or no vetting. Know when to become more deliberately thoughtful and when it’s worth identifying and evaluating sources of information. If you’re trying to decide how to manage a serious illness or to understand the best steps for addressing climate change, take time to vet the sources. Improve your fact-checking. A second step is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000740">lateral reading</a>, a process professional fact-checkers use. Open a new window and search for <a href="https://www.nsta.org/science-teacher/science-teacher-mayjune-2023/marginalizing-misinformation">information about the sources</a>, if provided. Is the source credible? Does the author have relevant expertise? And what is the consensus of experts? If no sources are provided or you don’t know if they are valid, use a traditional search engine to find and evaluate experts on the topic. Evaluate the evidence. Next, take a look at the evidence and its connection to the claim. Is there evidence that genetically modified foods are safe? Is there evidence that they are not? What is the scientific consensus? Evaluating the claims will take effort beyond a quick query to ChatGPT. If you begin with AI, don’t stop there. Exercise caution in using it as the sole authority on any scientific issue. You might see what ChatGPT has to say about genetically modified organisms or vaccine safety, but also follow up with a more diligent search using traditional search engines before you draw conclusions. Assess plausibility. Judge whether the claim is plausible. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2013.03.001">Is it likely to be true</a>? If AI makes an implausible (and inaccurate) statement like “<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2022/12/23/fact-check-false-claim-covid-19-vaccines-caused-1-1-million-deaths/10929679002/">1 million deaths were caused by vaccines, not COVID-19</a>,” consider if it even makes sense. Make a tentative judgment and then be open to revising your thinking once you have checked the evidence. Promote digital literacy in yourself and others. Everyone needs to up their game. <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-be-a-good-digital-citizen-during-the-election-and-its-aftermath-148974">Improve your own digital literacy</a>, and if you are a parent, teacher, mentor or community leader, promote digital literacy in others. The American Psychological Association provides guidance on <a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/social-media-literacy-teens">fact-checking online information</a> and recommends teens be <a href="https://www.apa.org/topics/social-media-internet/health-advisory-adolescent-social-media-use">trained in social media skills</a> to minimize risks to health and well-being. <a href="https://newslit.org/">The News Literacy Project</a> provides helpful tools for improving and supporting digital literacy. Arm yourself with the skills you need to navigate the new AI information landscape. Even if you don’t use generative AI, it is likely you have already read articles created by it or developed from it. It can take time and effort to find and evaluate reliable information about science online – but it is worth it.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204897/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gale-sinatra-1234776">Gale Sinatra</a>, Professor of Education and Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-california-1265">University of Southern California</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/barbara-k-hofer-1231530">Barbara K. Hofer</a>, Professor of Psychology Emerita, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/middlebury-1247">Middlebury</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/chatgpt-and-other-generative-ai-could-foster-science-denial-and-misunderstanding-heres-how-you-can-be-on-alert-204897">original article</a>.

Technology

Ping, your pizza is on its way. Ping, please rate the driver. Yes, constant notifications really do tax your brain

A ping from the pizza company. A couple of pings from your socials. Ping, ping, ping from your family WhatsApp group trying to organise a weekend barbecue. With all those smartphone notifications, it’s no wonder you lose focus on what you’re trying to do do. Your phone doesn’t even need to ping to distract you. There’s <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-28923-001">pretty good</a><a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.1086/691462">evidence</a> the mere presence of your phone, silent or not, is enough to divert your attention. So what’s going on? More importantly, how can you reclaim your focus, without missing the important stuff? <h2>Is it really such a big deal?</h2> When you look at the big picture, those pings can really add up. Although estimates vary, the average person checks their phone <a href="https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/30085/1/PubSub7601_Andrews.PDF">around 85 times</a><a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/trapped-in-the-net-are-we-all-addicted-to-our-smartphones-20190531-p51t44.html">a day</a>, roughly once every 15 minutes. In other words, every 15 minutes or so, your attention is likely to wander from what you’re doing. The trouble is, it can take <a href="https://lifehacker.com/how-long-it-takes-to-get-back-on-track-after-a-distract-1720708353">several minutes</a> to regain your concentration fully after being <a href="https://www.ics.uci.edu/%7Egmark/chi08-mark.pdf">interrupted</a> by your phone. If you’re just watching TV, distractions (and refocusing) are no big deal. But if you’re driving a car, trying to study, at work, or spending time with your loved ones, it could lead to some fairly substantial problems. <h2>Two types of interference</h2> The pings from your phone are “exogenous interruptions”. In other words, something external, around you, has caused the interruption. We can <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-46276-9_21">become conditioned</a> to feeling excited when we hear our phones ping. This is the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1360-0443.2002.00015.x">same pleasurable feeling</a> people who gamble can quickly become conditioned to at the sight or sound of a poker machine. What if your phone is on silent? Doesn’t that solve the ping problem? Well, no. That’s another type of interruption, an internal (or endogenous) interruption. Think of every time you were working on a task but your attention drifted to your phone. You may have fought the urge to pick it up and see what was happening online, but you probably checked anyway. In this situation, we can become so strongly conditioned to expect a reward each time we look at our phone we don’t need to wait for a ping to trigger the effect. These impulses are powerful. Just reading this article about checking your phone may make you feel like … checking your phone. <h2>Give your brain a break</h2> What do all these interruptions mean for cognition and wellbeing? There’s increasing evidence push notifications are associated with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352853217300159">decreased productivity</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958820300051">poorer concentration</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0927537116300136">increased distraction</a> at work and school. But is there any evidence our brain is working harder to manage the frequent switches in attention? One study of people’s brain waves <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/cin/2016/5718580/">found</a> those who describe themselves as heavy smartphone users were more sensitive to push notifications than ones who said they were light users. After hearing a push notification, heavy users were significantly worse at recovering their concentration on a task than lighter users. Although push notification interrupted concentration for both groups, the heavy users took much longer to regain focus. Frequent interruptions from your phone can also leave you <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563219302596">feeling stressed</a> by a need to respond. Frequent smartphone interruptions are also associated with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360131519301319">increased FOMO</a> (fear of missing out). If you get distracted by your phone after responding to a notification, any subsequent <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2050157921993896">procrastination</a> in returning to a task can also leave you feeling guilty or frustrated. There’s <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563219300883">certainly evidence</a> suggesting the longer you spend using your phone in unproductive ways, the lower you tend to rate your wellbeing. <h2>How can I stop?</h2> We know switching your phone to silent isn’t going to magically fix the problem, especially if you’re already a frequent checker. What’s needed is behaviour change, and that’s hard. It can take several attempts to see lasting change. If you have ever tried to quit smoking, lose weight, or start an exercise program you’ll know what I mean. Start by turning off all non-essential notifications. Then here are some things to try if you want to reduce the number of times you check your phone: <ul> <li> charge your phone overnight in a different room to your bedroom. Notifications can prevent you falling asleep and can repeatedly rouse you from essential sleep throughout the night </li> <li> interrupt the urge to check and actively decide if it’s going to benefit you, in that moment. For example, as you turn to reach for your phone, stop and ask yourself if this action serves a purpose other than distraction </li> <li> try the <a href="https://www.themuse.com/advice/take-it-from-someone-who-hates-productivity-hacksthe-pomodoro-technique-actually-works#:%7E:text=The%20Pomodoro%20Technique%20is%20a,are%20referred%20to%20as%20pomodoros">Pomodoro method</a> to stay focused on a task. This involves breaking your concentration time up into manageable chunks (for example, 25 minutes) then rewarding yourself with a short break (for instance, to check your phone) between chunks. Gradually increase the length of time between rewards. Gradually re-learning to sustain your attention on any task can take a while if you’re a high-volume checker. </li> </ul> Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/ping-your-pizza-is-on-its-way-ping-please-rate-the-driver-yes-constant-notifications-really-do-tax-your-brain-193952" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Technology

COVID-19 virus-detecting mask can alert of exposure via your smartphone

Move over <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid/rise-of-rapid-antigen-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">inaccurate RATs</a>. Get out of my nose and throat PCR swab tests. There’s a new method of COVID-19 detection and it’s wearable. A research team from Tongji University in China, has created a face mask that can detect COVID-19 (as well as other common respiratory viruses such as colds and influenza) and send an alert to your smartphone. The mask is highly sensitive, with the inbuilt sensor able to detect the virus <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/lets-clear-the-air-on-ventilation-cosmos-weekly-taster/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in the air</a> after only ten minute’s exposure at extremely low concentrations – far less than produced by sneezing, coughing or talking. “Previous research has shown face mask wearing can reduce the risk of spreading and contracting the disease. So, we wanted to create a mask that can detect the presence of virus in the air and alert the wearer,” says Yin Fang, an author of the study and a material scientist at Shanghai Tongji University. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p214217-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/science/covid-19-detecting-mask-smartphone/#wpcf7-f6-p214217-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/" aria-invalid="false" /> </form> </div> </div> The sensor on the mask has tiny synthetic molecules – called ‘aptamers’ – which are able to be tweaked to detect proteins unique to specific pathogens, such as SARS-Cov-2, H5N1 (colloquially known as ‘bird flu’) and H1N1 (‘swine flu’). Once the aptamer detects the virus, the sensor amplifies the signal via a specialised component known as an <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344400852_Ion-Gated_Transistor_An_Enabler_for_Sensing_and_Computing_Integration" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ion-gate transistor</a> (which is highly sensitive and able to detect very low voltage signals) and sends an alert to the user’s phone. “Our mask would work really well in spaces with poor ventilation, such as elevators or enclosed rooms, where the <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid-ventilation-standards/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">risk of getting infected is high</a>,” Fang says. The device is also highly customisable and can be swiftly modified to detect new and emerging threats. This is not the first time <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/smart-masks-to-detect-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">‘smart masks’ have been created</a> to detect COVID-19, but what sets these devices apart is their sensitivity and ‘tunability’ to different viruses. The team is working on reducing the detection time and increasing the sensitivity of their devices. In the future, they hope the technology could be expanded to further applications and wearables for other conditions such as cancers and heart diseases. “Currently, doctors have been relying heavily on their experiences in diagnosing and treating diseases. But with richer data collected by wearable devices, disease diagnosis and treatment can become more precise,” Fang says.  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=214217&title=COVID-19+virus-detecting+mask+can+alert+of+exposure+via+your+smartphone" width="1" height="1" />  <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/covid-19-detecting-mask-smartphone/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/clare-kenyon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clare Kenyon</a>. Clare Kenyon is a science journalist for Cosmos. An ex-high school teacher, she is currently wrangling the death throes of her PhD in astrophysics, has a Masters in astronomy and another in education. Clare also has diplomas in music and criminology and a graduate certificate of leadership and learning. Image: Getty Images </div>

Technology

The latest polio cases have put the world on alert. Here’s what this means for Australia and people travelling overseas

Until recently, polio had only been detected in a handful of countries, thanks to global eradication efforts. But this year’s polio alerts in the United States, United Kingdom and Israel are a reminder that as long as poliovirus is found anywhere, it is a potential problem everywhere. That could include Australia. Here’s what the latest polio cases mean for Australia – including under-vaccinated communities and people travelling internationally. <h2>The US case</h2> In July this year, a young man in Rockland County, New York, developed paralysis and was diagnosed with polio, the <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2022/07/21/n-y-state-detects-polio-case-first-in-the-u-s-since-2013/">first US case since 2013</a>. He had never been vaccinated against polio, which is not uncommon among <a href="https://forward.com/news/512089/polio-rockland-county-new-york-vaccine-orthodox-jew/">Orthodox Jewish people</a> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8549591/">in some countries</a>. Rockland County has the highest percentage of Orthodox Jewish people in the US. Currently, only <a href="https://health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/polio/county_vaccination_rates.htm">about 60%</a> of children in the county are vaccinated against polio, compared with <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/immunize.htm">more than 90%</a> nationally. As of August 12, poliovirus was <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/about/press/pr2022/nysdoh-and-nycdohm-wastewater-monitoring-finds-polio-urge-to-get-vaccinated.page">still being detected</a> in sewage in New York City and other counties in New York State, indicating the virus is still circulating in the community. The reason there have been no further cases of paralysis reflects the fact that only around <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/poliomyelitis">one in 200 people</a> infected by the virus develops paralysis. <h2>A child in Israel</h2> One <a href="https://twitter.com/propublica/status/1558140096028737539">indirect link</a> to the New York man may be in Jerusalem where, in March 2022, poliovirus <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON366">was found</a> in sewage and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-022-01201-0">one case</a> of paralysis occurred in an unvaccinated child. Vaccination rates among Ultra-Orthodox Jewish people in Israel have been historically low, including <a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-health-middle-east-religion-israel-557e9d18f3f78f4fc141eeddaaefb8eb">low uptake</a> of COVID vaccines. <h2>UK ramps up vaccination</h2> In June this year, the UK government <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/poliovirus-detected-in-sewage-from-north-and-east-london">reported</a> wastewater surveillance in north and east London between February and May had identified poliovirus on consecutive occasions. This indicated a provisional “silent” outbreak and prompted health officials to instigate catch-up vaccination campaigns. No cases of paralysis have been reported. This is reminiscent of an earlier “silent” outbreak of polio in 2013-2014 when, after decades without a case, Israel <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1808798115">detected</a> poliovirus in wastewater samples in many areas, mainly in southern regions. Stool surveys indicated the outbreak was restricted mainly to children under the age of ten in the Bedouin population of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27334457/">southern Israel</a>. The virus originated in Pakistan and arrived in Israel via Cairo and then, probably, through Bedouin communities in Egypt and Israel. <h2>Hang on, hasn’t polio been eradicated?</h2> It’s tempting to think polio has been eradicated. The last case of locally acquired polio in Australia <a href="https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/cda-pubs-cdi-2002-cdi2602-cdi2602l.htm">was in 1972</a>. Australia was declared polio-free on October 29, 2000, along with the other 36 countries in the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization. The last case reported in Australia <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2660702/">was in 2007</a>, when a student contracted the infection in Pakistan. The <a href="https://polioeradication.org/">Global Polio Eradication Initiative</a>, launched in 1988, successfully eliminated wild poliovirus from all but two countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan – where in recent years there have been very few cases. In <a href="https://polioeradication.org/where-we-work/afghanistan/">Afghanistan</a>, there were four cases last year and one so far this year. In <a href="https://polioeradication.org/where-we-work/pakistan/">Pakistan</a>, there was one case in 2021 and 14 so far this year. The recent cases and wastewater detected polioviruses in the UK, US and Israel are not the wild variety. Instead, they are derived from the oral polio vaccine. When a child receives a dose of the oral vaccine, they excrete the virus in the stool for several weeks. In very rare cases, the vaccine-derived virus mutates to a form that causes paralysis. This form is called a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV). This occurs only in populations where polio vaccine coverage is low. Just recently, cVDPV was reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique and Yemen, as well as in wastewater in five other countries. Australia, like all high-income countries, does not use the oral polio vaccine. Instead, children receive <a href="https://immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au/contents/vaccine-preventable-diseases/poliomyelitis">injectable inactivated polio vaccine</a>, which prevents paralysis but does not prevent transmission of the virus. This is why so-called silent outbreaks can occur in countries that use the injectable vaccine. This is when the virus spreads from child to child but does not cause paralysis. <h2>What are the implications for Australia?</h2> Given Australia’s open international borders, there is no reason why someone who has recently received the oral polio vaccine wouldn’t enter the country and excrete the virus. In Australia, at the age of five, <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/node/38782/childhood-immunisation-coverage/current-coverage-data-tables-for-all-children#five-year-olds">about 95% of children</a> are fully vaccinated against polio. However, there are places with lower vaccine coverage, such as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/aug/14/when-covid-came-to-the-anti-vax-capital-of-australia">Byron Shire</a> in northern New South Wales, with lower rates of childhood vaccination, including against polio. This vaccine-hesitant community is vulnerable to the introduction of polio and has had cases of diphtheria, whooping cough, measles and tetanus in recent years. Unlike some other Orthodox Jewish communities overseas, there is no evidence this community in Australia is more vaccine hesitant than other Australians. <h2>How do we look out for cases?</h2> For years, wastewater monitoring has been routinely implemented in many countries. This acts as an early warning system to identify and rapidly mitigate the spread of many pathogens, <a href="https://theconversation.com/sewage-surveillance-is-the-next-frontier-in-the-fight-against-polio-105012">including poliovirus</a>, hepatitis viruses and, recently, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID). At wastewater treatment facilities, sewage from an entire region is combined. This allows scientists to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-022-01201-0">detect pathogens</a> at the population level and before anyone presents with symptoms. In December 2017, Victoria’s environmental testing program <a href="https://www.health.vic.gov.au/media-releases/health-surveillance-system-detects-poliovirus">detected</a> a rare type of poliovirus in pre-treated sewage from the Western Treatment Plant in Melbourne. No cases of paralytic polio were detected but all Victorians up to the age of 19 were offered three doses of vaccine, free of charge, as part of catch-up arrangements. Australia’s poliovirus infection outbreak response plan <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2022/05/poliovirus-infection-outbreak-response-plan-for-australia.pdf">focuses on</a> clinical surveillance (where health workers report suspected cases to health authorities) and laboratory investigations of people who present with acute paralysis. While the plan refers to examples of wastewater surveillance overseas, it does not propose a specific strategy in Australia. Other than Victoria, it is not clear where wastewater polio surveillance is being conducted in Australia. <h2>What happens next?</h2> Australia is just as vulnerable to importations of poliovirus – both wild and vaccine-derived – as any other country. Australia should ensure routine wastewater surveillance for poliovirus is conducted, at least in metropolitan areas. Community-based vaccination campaigns should be sensitively conducted in vaccine-hesitant communities, such as in Byron Shire, to achieve high coverage. Education should also be provided through GPs to parents planning to travel to Jerusalem, New York City and Rockland County. They should ensure all travelling family members are fully vaccinated against polio. Visitors to Israel may be able to access a dose of oral polio vaccine in that country for their children (which will prevent them being infected) but this is not available in the US. Poliovirus enters the body through the mouth, usually from hands contaminated with the stool of an infected person. So parents should also pay special attention to their children’s hand hygiene, particularly if travelling overseas to any of the locations mentioned. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-latest-polio-cases-have-put-the-world-on-alert-heres-what-this-means-for-australia-and-people-travelling-overseas-188989" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. <div style="caret-color: #000000; color: #000000; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; --tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(51,168,204,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; 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Travel Tips

Scam alert: Kmart customers targeted in bargain hunting Facebook groups

Kmart customers have been warned about a new scam circulating in bargain hunting Facebook groups. They have been warned to watch for advertisements offering Nintendo Switches for $2.95. The fake Facebook post has been circulating in parents' groups online and has already fooled a number of Aussies into handing their card details over. The post includes a photograph showing a doctored Kmart price tag displaying that the gaming device has been reduced from $379.86 to $2.95. It also claims that the lower price point is due to a contract dispute between Kmart and Nintendo. Not only is this is factually incorrect, but it is one of the first signs something is obviously fake, as it is too-good-to-be-true. “Kmart broke its contract with Nintendo and is giving away a Nintendo Switch game console to every Australian for $2.95,” the caption on the scam post reads. One shopper claimed her friend had lost $700 after falling for the scam, as the fraudsters took her bank details and withdrew money. “BEWARE. Another scam page going around, also there is a Dyson one,” she said. “Do not fall for it. Friend did and has lost around $700. They just keep taking from your bank. Can't stop it unless you email them and threaten with lawyers.” “Unfortunately I was one of those people who thought it was real,” another woman said. Some believe the advertisement is so fake it's the consumers fault that they fell for it in the first place. “Phishing messages are designed to look genuine, and often copy the format used by the organisation the scammer is pretending to represent, including their branding and logo,” ACCC's Scamwatch website said. Image: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

Young girl found after Amber Alert issued

A young girl has been found safe and well after an Amber Alert was issued overnight. The five-year-old disappeared from Kingston, a suburb in the city of Logan in Queensland’s south east. Queensland Police issued a <a href="https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/news/2022/03/03/final-amber-alert-kingston/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">final update</a> on Thursday morning, confirming the little girl had been found and thanking the public and media for their assistance. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> FINAL AMBER ALERT, KINGSTON - The 5yo girl subject of an Amber Alert yesterday (March 2) has been located safe and well. The media and public are thanked for their assistance <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/amberalertKingston?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#amberalertKingston</a> <a href="https://t.co/H9OWzYNt47">pic.twitter.com/H9OWzYNt47</a> — Queensland Police (@QldPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/QldPolice/status/1499140137598349312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2022</a></blockquote> The initial Amber Alert was issued after the child went missing on Wednesday afternoon, after a man known to her put her in the back of a car which was driven away by a second person. Police released <a href="https://www.river949.com.au/news/local-news/127288-amber-alert-urgent-assistance-to-locate-5-year-old-girl-missing-from-kingston" target="_blank" rel="noopener">images</a> of the young girl and of Kaitlyn Compton, who they believed was with the child. Concerned comments flooded the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/QueenslandPolice/posts/322426419918217" target="_blank" rel="noopener">update</a> shared by Queensland Police on social media on Thursday, with many sharing their relief at the news. “Great work to all our Police Officers,” one person shared. “Such good news in troubling times,” another wrote. “Located safe & well! Thank goodness,” a third commented. “That’s great news 👍. Well done QPS 👏,” another user said. The welcome news comes as the area faces ongoing floods, with Logan City Council <a href="https://disaster.logan.qld.gov.au/Home/viewnews?title=City%20of%20Logan%20flood%20update%20Wednesday,%20March%202" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reporting</a> that at least 59 homes were inundated and 200 roads were closed on Wednesday. Image: River 94.9 (Facebook)

Caring

West responds to Putin placing nuclear arsenal on high alert

As tensions and fighting continue to escalate between Russia and Ukraine, the US and NATO have slammed Putin's decision to put Russia's nuclear forces on high alert. Speaking at a meeting with his top officials, Putin directed the Russian defence minister and the chief of the military's General Staff to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a "special regime of combat duty." The Russian president also discussed the hard-hitting sanctions that have been placed on Russia, and Putin himself. "Western countries aren't only taking unfriendly actions against our country in the economic sphere, but top officials from leading NATO members made aggressive statements regarding our country," Putin said in televised comment. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the dangerous move was part of a wider pattern of unprovoked escalation and "manufactured threats" from the Kremlin. "This is really a pattern that we've seen from President Putin through the course of this conflict, which is manufacturing threats that don't exist in order to justify further aggression — and the global community and the American people should look at it through that prism," Psaki told ABC's George Stephanopoulos on 'This Week'. She added, "This is all a pattern from President Putin and we're going to stand up for it, we have the ability to defend ourselves, but we also need to call out what we're seeing here from President Putin." In reaction to the nuclear alert, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told CNN, "This is dangerous rhetoric. This is a behaviour which is irresponsible." Given that Russia, as well as the US, typically have both land and submarine-based nuclear forces on alert for combat at all times, the practicality of Putin's order is not yet clear. As the conflict only continues to grow with Moscow troops drawing closer to Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that a delegation would meet in an undisclosed location on the Belarusian border to discuss peace talks. Image credits: Getty Images

News

Sunrise hosts on high alert

The hosts of Sunrise are reportedly concerned about a "rat" in the Channel Seven studios, after <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/caught-out-leaked-audio-as-channel-7-stars-slam-novak">off-air footage went viral</a> of 7News reported calling Novak Djokovic an "a**hole". Natalie Barr and David Koch, who are based in the Sydney offices of the Seven Network, are said to be worried that a "rat" could also leak their private conversations, according to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10409349/Sunrise-Natalie-Barr-David-Koch-worried-rats-leaking-secrets.html">Daily Mail</a>. “Nat and Kochie would be wondering how many times they've had a private chat about something or someone, and will now be forced to watch every single word they say from here on in,” the source claimed, adding that “there’s a lot of backstabbing… in TV”. “Everyone on TV knows there's banter off-air, and when the cameras are on it's a whole other picture.” The leaked 7News video went viral last week, as Channel Seven reporters Rebecca Maddern and Mark Amor discussed whether Novak Djokovic should be detained in Australia, after arriving for the Australian Open with an improper visa and vaccination exemption. In the footage, Rebecca remarked, “Whatever way you look at it, Novak Djokovic is a lying, sneaky, a***hole,” as photos emerged of the tennis champion attending events in his native Serbia after testing positive for Covid-19. “It’s unfortunate that everybody else stuffed up around him. To go out when you know you’re Covid-positive - well, I don’t think he was even Covid-positive…” Mike also labelled Djokovic an “a***hole”, saying: “You’ve got a bulls**t f***ing excuse and then he fell over his own f***ing lies, which is what happens right?” After investigating how the footage emerged, the source of the leak was identified as an employee at the closed-captions company that works with Channel Seven, Ai-Media. “As a result of the investigation, Ai-Media has identified that an employee working remotely due to the COVID-19 outbreak was responsible for the unauthorised distribution of the content,” the company confirmed in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange. “Appropriate action has been taken with regard to the employee responsible.” Image credits: Sunrise

NATIONAL RECALL: Aldi issues Listeria alert for popular cheese

Image: News.com.au Aldi has issued an urgent national recall on two of its popular cheese products amid a suspected disease outbreak that could lead to illness in pregnant women. The popular supermarket chain announced a recall on Snackers Market Little Pickers Cubed Tasty Cheese and Mini Crackers (35g), and Little Pickers Cubed Tasty Cheese and Pretzels (40g) due to a suspected Listeria infection. Food Standards Australia and New Zealand said the cheese had been sold at Aldi stores nationwide, with the recall applying to all products marked with the use by dates up to the 3rd of February 2022. “Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund,” Aldi said in its recall notice. This is the second cheese recall this week announced by FSA, with consumers being urged to avoid eating the Good To Go brand Tasty Cheese Salami and Cabanossi products from a range of IGA and Woolworths supermarkets and featuring certain use-by dates. A suspected Listeria infection is also at fault. Manassen Foods Australia said the Mild Salami Bite use-by dates of concern are December 21, 24, and January 13, while the Cabanossi dates are December 15 and 23. The products have been available for sale at Woolworths and independent grocery stores including IGAs in NSW, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, SA and WA. Monta Foods last week recalled its YBC Picola Strawberry 58.8g product because of an undeclared egg allergen.

Food & Wine

Alert viewers spot Cabinet Minister's serious health condition on live TV

NSW Cabinet Minister Victor Dominello made an urgent discovery about his own health after a number of concerned viewers alerted him to a major issue. The viewers noticed his "droopy eye" during the NSW State COVID-19 press conference on Wednesday so the Customer Service Minister sought medical advice and was diagnosed with Bell's palsy on Wednesday afternoon. The minister later posted on his Facebook account, saying he’d received this diagnosis at the Royal North Shore Hospital. Bell's palsy is a condition which causes a sudden weakness or paralysis in one side of the face. “At this morning’s press conference, a number of people commented on my droopy eye,” he wrote in his post. “Some people thought I was winking at the cameraman. Some thought I had a stroke. “I have actually been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy.” Minister Dominello continued in his post: “About 48 hours ago - I felt a pain in my skull behind my right ear. This morning I woke up with pins and needles on the right side of my tongue. But I did not notice any droopiness around my eye. I only took it more seriously this afternoon - after a number of people sent me a screenshot of the press conference and others contacted my office prompting me to seek urgent medical advice. Thanks to everyone who reached out . The reason I am posting is because hopefully it will remind people to look after their health. We are focussed on Covid but there are plenty of other health problems going on. If you have any health concerns - please get them looked after. Ps - thanks to staff at Royal North Shore - we are blessed to live in a country with this health system ” Bell’s Palsy is caused by inflammation or damage to the facial nerve which are thought to be linked to viral infections. It can be treated with oral steroids or antiviral medicine with complete recovery usually taking several months. Other symptoms include difficulty making facial expressions, drooping of one side of the mouth, difficulty eating, drooling, pain or sensitivity on the affected side of the body. Patients can also experience headaches and loss of taste. Anyone who develops these symptoms should seek medical treatment immediately. Photo: Facebook

Caring

Urgent alert as Sydney exposure sites explode

A late-night alert has been issued by NSW Health, which has added 48 new exposure sites across Sydney. Authorities are urging anyone who may have attended the following venues during the times stated, is now considered a close contact and must isolate, get tested and stay inside for 14 days. Sydney is currently undergoing its fifth week of lockdown, but local transmission of the Delta-variant remains high. FULL LIST OF EXPOSURE SITES: GoVita, 1052 Old Princes Highway, Wednesday 21 July, 9:45am-9:55am GWYNNEVILLE Gwynneville Bakery, 3.168 Gipps Road, Saturday July 24, 9am-9:30am BELFIELD Mancini’s Original Woodfired Pizza, 21 Burwood Road, July 24, all day CAMPSIE Campsie Centre, Friday, July 23 all day; Saturday, July 24 all day SAN REMO Priceline, Friday, July 23 from 2.20 pm to 2.40pm ROSEBERY IGA, Friday, July 23 from 4 pm to 4.55pm ENGADINE GoVita, Wednesday, July 21 from 9.45 am to 9.55am BEVERLY HILLS Pizza Hut, Wednesday, July 21 from 1.45 pm to 2.15pm ROSELANDS Caltex Woolworths, Monday July 26 from 3.10 pm to 3.20pm These bus routes are also considered exposure sites and anyone who travelled them must get tested and self-isolate. ROUTE 25 From Tuggerah Station to Bateau Bay Square, Friday July 23 from 1.58 pm to 2.35pm ROUTE 21 From Lions Park, Central Coast Highway, Long Jetty to Gosford Train Station, Stand N, Friday July 23 from 3.41 pm to 4.30pm Anyone who attended these venues during these times are considered a casual contact. Those who were there must get tested and self-isolate until they receive a negative result. WENTWORTHVILLE Officeworks, Sunday, July 18 from 10.40 am to 11am BANKSTOWN Fields of Fruit, Sunday, July 18 from 11.10 am to 11.25am TOONGABBIE Toongabbie Fish Market, Sunday, July 18 from 11.10 am to 11.25am POTTS POINT Jeremy and Sons, Monday, July 19 from 7.30 am to 7.45am LEICHHARDT Leichhardt Marketplace, Monday, July 19 from 9.55 am to 10.10am Blooms the Chemist, Saturday, July 24 from 10.30 am to 10.45am MARSDEN PARK Puma Energy Australia, Monday, July 19 from 11 am to 11.05am ULTIMO Aldi, Monday, July 19 from 12 pm to 12.10pm HORNSBY Dan Murphy’s, Saturday, July 24 from 5.20 pm to 5.40 pm PENDLE HILL Pendle Inn Hotel, Monday, July 19 from 12 pm to 12.10pm BASS HILL Kahil Meats, Monday July 19 from 3.30 pm to 3.55pm CANLEY HEIGHTS Carter & G’s Coffee Shop, Tuesday, July 20 from 7.40 am to 7.50am; Wednesday, July 21 from 7.40 am to 7.50am BELLAMBI Bunnings, Tuesday, July 20 from 11 am to 11.15am LAKEMBA Chemist Warehouse, Tuesday, July 20 from 2.30 pm to 3pm Woolworths, Tuesday, July 27 from 2.30 pm to 2.45pm MERRYLANDS Hamze Bros Fruit and Veg, Wednesday, July 21 from 9 am to 9.05am Services Australia, Tuesday, July 20 from 10.50 am to 11.05am BASS HILL Woolworths, Wednesday, July 21 from 9.05 am to 9.15am CHULLORA Aldi, Wednesday, July 21 from 9.20 am to 10am CABRAMATTA Woolworths, Wednesday, July 21 from 12.25 pm to 12.45pm; Saturday, July 24 from 1.30 pm to 1.35pm Accounting Dynamics, Tuesday, July 27 from 4.20 pm to 7.30pm LONG JETTY 7-Eleven, Friday, July 23 from 3.15 pm to 3.35pm BANKSTOWN Supa IGA, Wednesday, July 21 from 12 pm to 1.30pm Bankstown Lebanese Fruit and Mixed Business, Thursday, July 22 from 10 am to 10.15am BLACKTOWN Kebab Express, Friday, July 23 from 8.40 pm to 8.50pm Chester Jakes Supersave Chemist, Saturday, July 24 from 10.35 am to 10.50am NARELLAN Coles, Thursday, July 22 from 5 am to 10.10am; Saturday, July 24 from 5 am to 1.20pm; Sunday July 25 from 5 am to 10am BELMORE Belmore Hardware, Thursday, July 22 from 9.30 am to 11am LIVERPOOL Chemist Warehouse, Thursday, July 22 from 11 am to 11.15am Westpac, Thursday, July 22 from 11.20 am to 2.55pm Woolworths, Thursday, July 22 from 7 pm to 8.15pm CAMPBELLTOWN Priceline, Thursday, July 22 from 11.50 am to 12.05pm CAMPSIE Woolworths, Thursday July 15 from 6.20 pm to 6.40pm; Friday July 23 from 1 pm to 1.20pm; Tuesday July 27 from 2 pm to 2.20pm Campsie Growers Market, Wednesday, July 21 from 8.30 am to 6pm; Thursday, July 22 from 8 am to 3pm Jin Mart, Wednesday, July 21 from 4.10 pm to 4.20pm Chemist Warehouse, Thursday, July 22 from 6 pm to 6.15pm Jono’s Cafe, Saturday, July 24 from 10 am to 10.15am CABRAMATTA Heng’s Garage, Friday, July 23 from 10.20 am to 1pm FAIRFIELD McDonald’s, Thursday, July 15 from 9 pm to 9.30pm Woolworths, Wednesday, July 21 from 12.30 pm to 1.30pm; Thursday, July 22 from 1.35 pm to 2.40pm; Friday, July 23 from 7.30 pm to 8pm FAIRFIELD HEIGHTS Fairfield District Medical Centre, Thursday, July 22 from 12 pm to 12.30pm 7-Eleven, Monday, July 19 from 7 pm to 7.10pm Fairfield Heights Tobacconist, Wednesday, July 21 from 1 pm to 2pm ROSEMEADOW Woolworths, Thursday, July 22 from 12.20 pm to 12.45pm; Friday, July 23 from 1.25 pm to 2.10pm AUBURN Woolworths, Saturday, July 17 from 10.40 am to 11.05am; Thursday, July 22 from 1.50 pm to 2pm; Saturday, July 24 from 11.10 am to 11.30am KINGSWOOD Freechoice, Monday, July 19 from 7 pm to 7.10pm KINGS PARK Subway, Friday, July 23 from 9 pm to 9.05pm THE PONDS Flash News, Thursday, July 22 from 3.35 pm to 3.50pm; Saturday, July 24 from 4.05 pm to 4.15pm Costi’s Seafood and Grill, Saturday, July 24 from 4.05 pm to 4.10pm Priceline, Saturday, July 24 from 4.10 pm to 4.20pm CASULA BP, Thursday, July 22 from 4 pm to 8pm; Sunday, July 25 from 7.35 am to 4.30pm PROSPECT Uncle Sid’s Oven, Friday, July 23 from 11.30 am to 12pm OLD TOONGABBIE Memphis 9 Cafe, Friday, July 23 from 8.10 am to 8.20am KOGARAH Fardoulis Sweet and Nuts, Friday, July 23 from 12 pm to 5.45pm LIDCOMBE Woolworths, Friday, July 23 from 2.30 pm to 4pm Cafe Rodem, Saturday, July 24 from 11.50 am to 11.55am MOUNT ANNAN Aldi, Saturday, July 24 from 9.25 am to 10am Woolworths, Sunday, July 25 from 9.50 am to 10.15am WENTWORTH POINT Coles Wentworth Point, Saturday July 24 from 9.35 am to 10.05am REVESBY Woolworths, Saturday, July 24 from 2.45 pm to 5.15pm SMITHFIELD Bunnings, Saturday, July 24 from 3.30 pm to 4pm BURWOOD Woolworths, Saturday, July 24 from 3.15 pm to 4 pm and 9.15 pm to 9.35pm Hungry Jacks, Saturday, July 24 from 5.20 pm to 5.40pm Coles, Saturday, July 24 from 9.30 pm to 9.50pm INGLEBURN Speedway, Saturday, July 24 from 1 pm to 2pm Woolworths, Saturday, July 24 from 2.50 pm to 3.05pm ST MARYS Liquor Stax, Saturday, July 24 from 9.30 pm to 9.45pm PETERSHAM Frangos Charcoal Chicken, Sunday, July 25 from 3.10 pm to 3.25pm SPRING FARM Choice Pharmacy, Monday, July 26 from 12 pm to 1pm Woolworths, Monday, July 26 from 12 pm to 1pm ZETLAND Coles, Sunday, July 25 from 4 pm to 4.30pm HARRIS PARK Australia Post, Thursday, July 22 from 2.30 pm to 2.40pm GREENACRE Bunnings, Tuesday, July 27 from 3 pm to 3.20pm RIVERWOOD Riverwood Hot Bread, Friday, July 23 from 12.55 to 1pm LIVERPOOL Barbara Long Park, Wednesday, July 21 from 4.30 pm to 6pm Hillier Oval, Wednesday, July 21 from 4.30 pm to 6pm

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Public health alert for NSW tourist hotspot

NSW Health has boosted COVID-19 testing in the area around Jervis Bay after a visitor from Melbourne visited several locations while potentially infectious. The department said in a statement it had been advised by Victoria’s Department of Health that the Melbournian visited Jervis Bay, Goulbourn, Hyams Beach, and Vincentia on Sunday, May 23 and Monday, May 24. The person drove back to Melbourne on Monday, before reporting the onset of symptoms on May 25 and being tested for COVID-19 a week later on Monday, May 31. With Victoria in a “circuit breaker” lockdown as cases and exposure sites continue to grow, NSW Health is urging anyone who visited the venues of concern at the times listed to contact NSW Health, get tested for COVID-19, and isolate until they receive further instructions. The venues include: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Cooked Goose Cafe, 76 Cyrus Street, Hyams Beach from 10am-12pm, Sunday May 23</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Coles Vincentia Shopping Village, 21 The Wool Road, Vincentia from 12pm-1pm, Sunday, May 23</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Green Patch campground, Booderee National Park, Village Bay Road, Jervis Bay all day Sunday, May 23 until 9am on Monday, May 24</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Shell Coles Express Big Merino, 1/3 Sowerby Street, Goulbourn from 10am-11.30am, Monday, May 23</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Trapper’s Bakery, 4 Sowerby Street, Goulbourn from 10.30am-11.30am, Monday, May 24 </li> </ul> As investigations continue, NSW Health said it may add new venues of concern. Testing will increase in the area, including a drive-through pop-up COVID-19 testing clinic in Huskisson. “Anyone who lives in Jervis Bay, or has visited Jervis Bay since 22 May, is asked to be especially vigilant for the onset of even the mildest of cold-like symptoms, and is urged to come forward for testing immediately if they appear, then isolate until a negative is received,” NSW Health said. “Additionally, anyone who has recently had symptoms should also get tested.” Chief Health Officer Professor Paul Kelly said the case was most likely linked to the current outbreak in Victoria.

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Sewage find sends Victoria into COVID high alert

Fragments of Coronavirus have been found in a number of wastewater samples in Victoria. In a statement on Wednesday, April 29, Victoria’s health department said COVID-19 fragments had been found in the state’s eastern, western, north-western and outer northern suburbs. “Given the current prolonged period of no community transmission in Victoria, it is most likely that this is due to a person or persons continuing to shed the virus after the infection period however, it could also be due to a person living in or travelling through the area in the early active infectious phase,” the department said. “The wastewater testing program is designed to be an early warning system to support our ongoing efforts in continuing to protect the CovidSafe environment we have achieved and therefore a cautious approach is always taken when these detections are found.” The department advised that “people who live in or have visited these areas who have or develop Covid symptoms are strongly encouraged to get tested and help keep Victoria communities Covid free.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CL5jMkirURT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CL5jMkirURT/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Victorian Department of Health (@vicgovdh)</a> </div> </blockquote> The fragments were detected in samples taken from various suburbs between April 17 and April 26. Suburbs impacted by new COVID alert <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Western suburbs catchment from April 18 to 26 include Albanvale, Burnside, Burnside Heights, Cairnlea, Caroline Springs, Deer Park, Delahey, Hillside (Melton), Keilor Downs, Kings Park, Plumpton, Ravenhall, Sydenham, Taylors Hill and Taylors Lakes</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">North-western suburbs catchment from April 18 to 26 include Avondale Heights, Calder Park, Hillside (Melton), Kealba, Keilor, Keilor Downs, Keilor East, Keilor Lodge, Keilor North, Keilor Park, Sydenham, and Taylors Lakes</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Eastern suburbs catchment from April 20 to 24 include Balwyn, Balwyn North, Blackburn, Blackburn North, Box Hill, Box Hill North, Bulleen, Doncaster, Doncaster East, Donvale, Mitcham, Mont Albert, Mont Albert North, Nunawading, and Templestowe Lower</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Outer northern suburbs catchment from April 17 to 22 include Epping, South Morang, and Wollert </li> </ul>

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Millions of Aussie residents on high alert after new COVID-19 discovery

Millions of Melburnians are being urged to monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 after viral fragments were detected in a "large wastewater catchment" that services the city's northern, western and eastern suburbs. Over five million people live in Melbourne and around three million of those reside in those areas. Traces of COVID-19 have also been detected in another wastewater catchment in Melbourne's southeast. The Department of Health released a statement saying the "unexpected detections" could be due to a person or persons with the virus being in the early active infectious phase. Or it could be because they were continuing to shed the virus after the infectious period, they said. “While it is possible that these detections are due to a visitor or visitors to these areas who are not infectious, a cautious approach is being taken,” the statement read. People who live in or have visited the following areas should monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and get tested if any develop: <ul class="ul1"> <li class="li1">North, west and eastern suburbs from 4 to 12 April. This detection is in a very large catchment that services suburbs stretching from Melbourne’s northwest to the outer northeast.</li> <li class="li1">Cranbourne and surrounding suburbs from 6 to 12 April</li> </ul> The two new detections come after people residing in 16 suburbs were issued a warning earlier in the week about similar wastewater discoveries. “Coronavirus fragments have been detected in wastewater from the Ringwood area,” the Victorian Department of Health said in a statement just before 6 pm on Tuesday. The east Melbourne suburbs affected include Bayswater, Bayswater North, Boronia, Croydon, Croydon North, Croydon South, Heathmont, Kilsyth, Kilsyth South, Montrose, Ringwood, Ringwood East, Sassafras, The Basin, Tremont and Wantirna.

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New COVID alerts list QLD ALDI, Coles and Woolies plus several Byron Bay locations

A number of new COVID alerts have been listed after venues were believed to have been exposed to the virus following Queensland’s latest cluster. On the list of venues are major shopping chains including Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, Bunnings, Liquorland, IGA and Cold Rock Ice Creamery. The Greater Brisbane area has been ordered into a snap three-day lockdown in an attempt to stop the growing coronavirus cluster of seven cases. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says that the infected people have been out in the community and travelled to central Queensland and northern NSW. Brisbane, Logan, Moreton Bay, Ipswich and Redlands are all in lockdown until Thursday evening. People will only be allowed to leave home to simply do essential work, shop, care for people or exercise. "I didn't sleep last night so I think I am very worried, I'm very concerned," Ms Palaszczuk said. "But we've done it before, we've got through this together, and I'm sure that if everyone does the right thing we will be able to get through it.” Ms Palaszczuk said the lockdown would be reviewed on Thursday, just in time for the Easter lockdown weekend. Thousands of travellers flocked to the airport in an attempt to leave the city before the lockdown came into effect on Monday – leaving bustling crowds in the airport that caused a gridlock on roads surrounding the area. Victoria has declared Greater Brisbane a "red zone" from 6 pm AEDT under its updated travel permit system. All Queenslanders will be locked out of Western Australia from midnight, unless they have an exemption. South Australia imposed a hard border on Monday afternoon, and has banned entry from Greater Brisbane. They are also requiring testing and isolating from those who had arrived since March 20. Restrictions have also been imposed in the ACT, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. NSW health has listed several venues as COVID alerts in Byron Bay on the far north coast, after it was revealed two positive cases travelled in the area from Friday, March 26 and Sunday, March 28. Those who have visited Suffolk Beachfront Holiday Park communal toilets on March 26, from 6:00 pm to 6:30 pm and 9:10 pm to 9:30 pm and on Saturday, March 27 from 3:20 pm to 3:50 pm have been strongly urged to immediately get tested and self-isolate. Below is a full list of the venues that are believed to have been exposed to the virus. Close contacts – quarantine for 14 days and complete the contact tracing self-assessment Friday 26 March 6.50 am - 8.00 am - FitStop Gym, Morningside 10:22 am - 11:23 am - Spinnaker Park Café, Callemondah 7:23 pm - 9.30 pm - Auckland House, Gladstone Central Saturday 27 March 7:33 am - 8:20 am - Auckland House, Gladstone Central Casual contacts – get tested immediately and quarantine until you get a negative result Friday 19 March 12.10 pm - 1.16 pm - Little Red Dumpling, Carseldine 1:10 pm - 1:20 pm - Woolworths, Carseldine 5:10 pm - 5:18 pm - Aldi, Bald Hills 5:30 pm - 5:33 pm - Super Cheap Auto, Bald Hills Sunday 21 March 4:40 pm – 4:50 pm - Liquorland, Dolphins Central Shopping Centre, Kippa-Ring Monday 22 March 7:14 am – 7:27 am - Bunnings, Rothwell 8:51 am - 8:58 am - Café L’avenue, Carseldine 12:05 pm - 12:34 pm - Zambrero, Aspley 12:40 pm - 12:48 pm - Jacobs Bakery, Aspley Tuesday 23 March 7:00 am – 8:00 am - Redcliffe train line – Kippa-Ring to Lawnton 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm - Redcliffe train line – Lawnton to Kippa-Ring 8:00 am - 8:29 am - Café L’avenue, Carseldine 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm - Sushi Train, Carseldine Wednesday 24 March 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm - Redcliffe train line – Lawnton to Kippa-Ring Thursday 25 March 1:25 pm – 1.26 pm - Gin Gin Public Toilet (male) opposite Gin Gin Bakery, Gin Gin 1:26 pm – 1:33 pm - Gin Gin Bakery, Gin Gin 2:35 pm – 2:45 pm - Miriam Vale Road Star Roadhouse (male toilet), Miriam Vale 3.50 pm - 4.00 pm - Cold Rock Ice Creamery, Raby Bay 4.30 pm - 4.45 pm - Woolworths, Cleveland 5:45 pm – 6:45 pm - Redcliffe train line – Lawnton to Kippa-Ring 8:00 am - 8:29 am - Café L’avenue, Carseldine 12:34 pm - 1:34 pm - Café L’avenue, Carseldine 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm - Hanwoori Korean BBQ Restaurant, Brisbane City 6:19 pm - 7:50 pm - Wintergarden carpark, Brisbane City Friday 26 March 10.15 am - 10.30 am - Nurse Station cafe (Patrons), South Brisbane 11.30 am - 11.45 am - SPAR Carina Megafresh, South Brisbane 12:09 pm – 12:33 am - Coles, Stockland Gladstone, Gladstone Central 12.55 pm - 1.30 pm - Woolworths, Coorparoo 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm - Redcliffe train line – Lawnton to Kippa-Ring 3:00 pm – 3.20 pm - Woolworths, Peninsula Fair Shopping Centre, Kippa-Ring 4:46 pm – 5:00 pm - Stockland Gladstone (including BWS), Gladstone Saturday 27 March 12:50 pm – 12:55 pm - IGA Redcliffe, Redcliffe Low risk contacts – monitor for symptoms Tuesday 23 March 3:00 pm - 3:30 pm - Outside Westpac, Peninsula Fair shopping Centre, Kippa-Ring

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Health authorities issue alert after "invasive" disease fatality

Health authorities in South Australia have issued an alert after a young man died from an "invasive" disease last week. SA Health was notified that a case of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) was identified in a 29-year-old Adelaide man, after his death. The man's strain was identified as serotype W - one of the most common strains in Australia. Close contacts of the man have been identified and contacted. Five people have been directed to receive clearance antibiotics. The meningococcal case is the first invasive case to be reported in South Australia this year. In 2020, a total of five cases were reported. Meningococcal disease can affect all age groups but more common in young people, including children under the age of five and young adults aged 15 to 24. Symptoms of meningococcal can vary depending on the person's age. In young children, symptoms include over, red or purple spots, abnormal skin colour, leg pain, cold hands or feet, fretfulness, and a high-pitched or moaning cry. In older children and adults, symptoms include headache, fever, vomiting, neck stiffness, photophobia, red or purple spots and joint pains. The serious disease can also lead to meningitis, septicaemia, joint infection, eye infection and pneumonia.

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Sydney on alert after hotel quarantine worker tests positive to COVID-19

Sydney is on alert this morning after multiple exposure sites including two public transport routes were added to the list of places visited by an infectious case of COVID-19. After almost two months of remaining virus-free, Sydney is grappling with a possibility of yet another outbreak following a serious breach at one of the city's quarantine hotels. A security guard has tested positive for the virus, despite receiving his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said authorities were notified of the locally acquired case late on Saturday night and urgent contact tracing and genome sequence was underway. The 47-year-old man works in security at two quarantine hotels, the Sofitel Hotel in Wentworth and the Mantra Hotel in Haymarket. Mr Hazzard said he had worked while infectious. The guard attended several venues during that time, with anyone who attended the Pancakes On The Rocks at Beverly Hills on March 13 between 10.45 am to 12 pm now considered a close contact. People who visited the venue at that time have been ordered to self-isolate for 14 days regardless of a negative test result. Hotspot locations Anyone who was a customer at the following venues at the listed times should monitor for symptoms: <ul class="ul1"> <li class="li1">Bexley - Aquatic Centre on Saturday March 13 between 9 am to 9.30am</li> <li class="li1">Haymarket - Dae Jang Kum Korean restaurant on Saturday March 13 between 12.15 am to 12.25am;</li> <li class="li1">Haymarket - 7 Eleven on Saturday March 13 between 12.20 am to 12.25am;</li> <li class="li1">Hurstville - Hudson's Coffee shop, Hurstville Private Hospital on Monday March 8 between 8.30 am to 9am; Tuesday March 9 between 8.30 am to 9am; Wednesday March 10 between 8 pm and 9pm; Thursday March 11 between 8.30 am and 9 am and Friday March 12 between 8.30 am and 9am</li> <li class="li1">Hurstville Station - Coles on Wednesday March 10 between 8 pm to 9pm</li> </ul> Anyone who travelled on the following train services during the below times should also monitor for symptoms: <ul class="ul1"> <li class="li1">T4 line, Hurstville to Central - Friday March 12 departing 6 pm Hurstville and arriving Central 6.30pm.</li> <li class="li1">T4 line, Central to Hurstville - Saturday March 13 departing Central at 7 am and driving Hurstville at 7.30am.</li> </ul>

Travel Trouble

Victoria back on high alert after coronavirus fragments found in wastewater

Victorian health authorities are on high alert after coronavirus fragments were found in sewage in an area where there are no active cases. Wastewater testing has revealed viral fragments of COVID-19 in Wantirna South and Boronia on February 15 and Carrum Downs, Langwarrin, St Kilda, Caulfield and Caulfield North on February 16. The suburbs are located on the east and southeast of the CBD, whereas all active cases are currently within the western suburbs apart from one person in Greater Dandenong. The health department said the wastewater samples had “weak detections” of viral fragments. Anyone who has any symptoms of COVID-19 and lives in or has visited the areas below during the following times has been urged to get tested: <ul> <li class="li1">Wantirna South or Boronia from February 13 to 15, including parts of Bayswater, Ferntree Gully, Knoxfield and Tremont;</li> <li class="li1">Carrum Downs or Langwarrin from February 13 to 16, including parts of Skye;</li> <li class="li1">St Kilda East or Caulfield North from February 13 to 16, including parts of Balaclava, Caulfield and Elsternwick.</li> </ul> The detections come as Victoria recorded two straight days of zero locally acquired cases. The health department said the number of active cases remained at 25, made up of 17 locally acquired cases and eight cases in hotel quarantine. The active local cases reside in Moreland, Brimbank, Hume, Greater Dandenong, Moonee Valley and Wyndham local government areas.

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