Australia

Australia records zero Covid-19 cases for first time in five months Locally-transmitted cases have dropped to zero and one state is hopeful for a "normal Christmas". YahooNews

Australia has recorded its first day of no local cases of Covid-19 in almost five months.

Zero cases were reported in the 24 hours between 20:00 on Friday and 20:00 on Saturday - the first time this has happened since 9 June.

The state of Victoria - epicentre of Australia's second wave - recorded zero cases for the second day in a row after a 112-day lockdown.

Asia Today: Australia to spend on vaccines for wider region CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia has announced it will spend 500 million Australian dollars ($351 million) to secure COVID-19 vaccines for the Pacific and Southeast Asia “as part of a shared... AP NEWS

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia has announced it will spend 500 million Australian dollars ($351 million) to secure COVID-19 vaccines for the Pacific and Southeast Asia “as part of a shared recovery for our region from the pandemic.”

'He has blood on his hands': Columbia University study shows that Trump could have avoided over 130,000 COVID-19 deaths with a more robust pandemic response "The U.S. should have – and could have – done better to protect the nation," researchers wrote in the study. Oma Seddiq Business Insider

Upwards of 130,000 coronavirus deaths were "avoidable" if President Donald Trump and his administration had acted sooner and implemented widespread public health precautions, according to a new Columbia University report released on Wednesday. 

Experts: Don't count on mild flu season amid COVID-19 "The message is be prepared for a bad flu season on top of a bad COVID season," says Edward Belongia, MD. CIDRAP

The Southern Hemisphere had a very light flu season in 2020, with Australia seeing only 315 cases over its winter, down 99.8% from the 130,000 cases seen in most years. But flu experts say that, while the low numbers could portend a similar scenario in the Northern Hemisphere, it would be a foolhardy not to prepare for high caseloads this winter.