The ACT is on track to become the fastest jurisdiction to roll out the COVID-19 vaccine with a move to allow 30-to 39-year-olds to register for jabs.
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The ACT government has opened registrations for that age group so they can be easily scheduled for appointments as more Pfizer supplies arrive in two months' time.
Fully vaccinated adults in the territory sits at 16 per cent compared with 13 per cent across the nation.
Australians, however, remain in the dark about the rate of vaccinations needed for the country to reopen despite scientists and public health professionals doing an amazing job in coming to terms with an unprecedented crisis.
In NSW, stay-at-home orders are being tightened in three Sydney council areas, retail is being restricted and construction paused as NSW records a Covid death and 111 new community cases.
Meanwhile, Victoria has entered day two of its latest lockdown as a further 19 locally-acquired cases have been recorded, resulting in SA shutting its border to Victoria.
The whereabouts of the three removalists who travelled between NSW, Victoria and South Australia while infectious has slowly been coming to light.
The three Sydneysiders travelled in two trucks, though this was only uncovered days into discussions with public health teams, making many stops over their three-day journey.
They left Sydney on July 8 before visiting the other states, then returned to NSW two days later.
In non-Covid news, homelessness across Australia is projected to surge by 9 per cent this year and housing stress could increase 24 per cent.
The two are joint symptoms of a broken national system, advocacy coalition Everybody's Home said.
The organisation suggests a holistic approach with five prongs.
It wants more first-homebuyer support, more low-cost properties, a better deal for renters, immediate relief for stressed households and a plan to end homelessness by 2030.
For science readers, astronomers have released a series of images that help reveal how the brightest lights in space form.
Using observations from the world's most powerful telescopes, scientists are examining parts of space where star formation is happening compared with where it is expected to happen.
The images show different components of galaxies near the Milky Way in distinct colours, allowing for the pinpointing of young stars and the gas they warm up around them.
In the Apple Isle, Aboriginal leaders are urging the Tasmanian government to rule out reopening 4WD tracks on culturally significant land in the state's rugged northwest.
A cultural assessment report found a proposal to allow off-road vehicles on three tracks in the Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area does not minimise risk to Aboriginal heritage sites.
On a lighter note, those keen to see snow have had their wishes granted with parts of the country blanketed - including Canberra and regional NSW.
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*This edition of The Informer was written by Canberra Times reporter Toby Vue. If you'd like to show your support for the team behind The Informer, why not forward us to a friend?
THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- Harder NSW lockdown, one death, 111 cases
- What we know about the movements of the 'rogue' removalists
- 'Very concerning': World-first UNE study shows bees spread PFAS in honey
- Victorians urged to check COVID-19 exposure sites as thousands quarantine
- Five month hospital stay ends in tears, cheers for young boy
- Vaccine messaging for pregnant women 'inconsistent'
- Virus fragments found in Darwin wastewater
- Did NSW do too little, too late?