Mary-Louise McLaws

Mary-Louise McLaws and Kerry Chant

Professor Mary-Louise McLaws and Dr Kerry Chant, recognised for their contribution to public health during the COVID-19 pandemic, are among members of the UNSW community to be honoured.

a masked woman walks by sydney opera house

NSW needs to mandate masks outdoors, provide adequate financial support, set up a ‘ring of steel’, use rapid tests for essential workers, and ensure cases not in full isolation get to zero, among others.

A woman peers out at the city from a hotel room some floors up

The Federal government has just announced it will help fund the building of a quarantine facility in Victoria; meanwhile UNSW academics wonder why it has taken this long.

a mass vaccination space in a warehouse in Italy

We need to stop relying on small GP clinics and urgently move towards using mass vaccination hubs like stadiums, schools and parks.

A healthcare worker wearing PPE prepares an injection

Australia's expedited plan to start dishing out COVID jabs in mid-late February will call for NASA-like logistical organisation. And ideally, no more clusters of infections to distract frontline workers.

Open window

Open windows and doors, use fans, and set your aircon to pull fresh air from outside.

A lightbox with message 'bye bye 2020' alongside two surgical masks

Christmas may not be cancelled, but it will certainly be different to any before, say leading COVID-19 experts.

Flinders Street Station in Melbourne

A previous version of Melbourne's COVID roadmap flagged an exclusive bubble between two households. The new plan allows residents to have two adult visitors per day, which is far riskier.

Melbourne sign during lockdown

The Premier said Melbourne's restrictions could be eased more than expected on Monday. But from an outbreak-management perspective, we should be careful of easing too soon.

Group of people chatting at dinner

We have to balance the risk of transmission with the mental health challenges of lockdowns. A bubble system could alleviate loneliness while minimising infection risk.

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