NSW recorded zero new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. There were five new cases in returning overseas travellers, bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 5,362. In the 24 hours to 8pm last night, NSW Health administered 7,552 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, bringing the total number of doses administered in the state since 22 February 2021 to 840,647. Despite extensive investigations into the source of two locally acquired cases announced last week, NSW Health has not identified how the initial case was exposed to COVID-19. More information here.

As of 6am yesterday (May 12), people arriving in NSW from Greater Melbourne must complete a declaration form that confirms they have not been to a venue of concern. This follows the detection of a positive case in the Greater Melbourne community earlier this week. Declaration forms must be completed within the 24-hour period prior to entering NSW, or on entry to NSW. Further information available here. Victoria recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to midnight last night.

The Strata Schemes Management Amendment (COVID-19) Regulation 2021 and Community Land Management Amendment (COVID-19) Regulation 2021 were published, and commence, on 12 May 2021. Practitioners should note that the relief measures introduced for the holding of meetings have not been extended, and note the transitional provisions in that regard. The temporary measures for execution of documents These rules have been extended until 12 November 2021. The effect of these changes, together with amendments to the Conveyancing Rules, mean that owners corporations and community associations can sign land dealings and plan documents electronically. More information about alternative signing options for owners corporations and community associations can be found here.

Due to the NSW Government’s extension of the temporary COVID-19 restrictions by a further week for the Greater Sydney region (including Wollongong, Central Coast and Blue Mountains), the ceremonial sitting to welcome Judge Colin Campbell as a Judge of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia in Sydney this Friday will be postponed. The ceremonial welcome sitting for Judge Campbell will now be held on Friday, 28 May 2021 at 4pm in the Sydney Registry, courtroom 7C, Level 7 of the Lionel Bowen Commonwealth Law Courts Building, 97-99 Goulburn Street Sydney. A livestream link to the ceremonial sitting will be circulated prior to the event. The court will of course continue to monitor the NSW Health updates and advise if any further events are affected.

The Government has secured 25 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to diversify the nation’s vaccine portfolio. To date, the Moderna vaccine has shown an overall vaccine efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 of 94.1 per cent, and 100 per cent efficacy against severe COVID-19. It has also shown strong protection of 90 per cent efficacy against COVID-19 for at least six months after the second dose.  A complete course of Moderna’s vaccination is likely to be two doses given 28 days apart. Health Minister Greg Hunt said there is also capacity for Moderna to be manufactured in Australia. More details here.

Earlier this week the Federal Court upheld the temporary travel ban regarding flights and passengers from India. The Government has confirmed that chartered repatriation flights to the Centre for National Resilience at Howard Springs for Australians returning from India will resume on May 15, after the completion of the current temporary ban on re-entry. Since the pause on flights from India commenced there has been a sustained reduction in COVID-19 positive cases originating from India in Australia’s quarantine system. The National Security Committee of Cabinet was advised this week that the pause was working and that this would allow the repatriation flights to resume after May 15. More information here.

The National Cabinet met last Friday to discuss the vaccine rollout, repatriation flights and passenger caps. The group also received a briefing from the Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer. More details from last week’s meeting here. The Cabinet will meet again tomorrow.