Australia shortens wait times for COVID-19 booster dose amid Omicron scare

Canberra: Australia said on Sunday that waiting times for people to receive a COVID-19 booster will be reduced following a surge in cases of the Omicron variant.

Australia previously said it would offer a booster to everyone over the age of 18 who had a second dose of the vaccine six months ago.

But with the Omicron version increasing cases, Health Minister Greg Hunt said the time interval after the second dose would be reduced to five months.

“A booster dose five or more months after the second dose will ensure that protection from the primary course is even stronger and longer-lasting and should help prevent the spread of the virus,” Hunt said in an emailed statement. “

“Israel’s data shows a booster that supports a reduction in infection rates in eligible age groups, severe illness in those over age 40, and death in those over age 60.”

Australia will use vaccines from both Pfizer and Moderna in its booster programme.

Australia is one of the most vaccinated countries, with almost 90% of people over the age of 16 being fully vaccinated.

Still, Australia on Sunday reported 1,556 cases in the past 24 hours, as infections neared a six-week high the day before.

Australia has recorded nearly 229,000 COVID-19 infections, far less than other countries’ tolls, and 2,100 deaths.

live TV

Read Full Article
'; $('div.listing').append(string); } }); }, error:function(xhr){ //console.log("Error"); //console.log("An error occured: " + xhr.status + " " + xhr.statusText); nextload=false; }, complete: function(){ $('div.listing').find(".loading-block").remove();; pg +=1; //console.log("mod" + ice%2); nextpath="&page=" + pg; //console.log("request complete" + nextpath); cat = "?cat=120186"; //console.log(nextpath); nextload=(ice%2==0)?true:false; } }); } //lastoff = last.offset(); //console.log("**" + lastoff + "**"); });*/ var maindiv = false; var dis = 0; var fbcontainer=""; var fbid = ''; var fb_script=document.createElement('script'); fb_script.text= "(function(d, s, id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;js.src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.9";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));"; var fmain = $(".sr2418524"); //alert(x+ "-" + url); var fdiv = '
'; //console.log(fdiv); //$(fb_script).appendTo(fmain); $(fdiv).appendTo(fmain); function fillElementWithAd($el, slotCode, size, targeting){ if (typeof targeting === 'undefined') { targeting = {}; } else if ( Object.prototype.toString.call( targeting ) !== '[object Object]' ) { targeting = {}; } var elId = $el.attr('id'); //console.log("elId:" + elId); googletag.cmd.push(function(){ var slot = googletag.defineSlot(slotCode, size, elId); for (var t in targeting){ slot.setTargeting(t, targeting } slot.addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.display(elId); //googletag.pubads().refresh([slot]); }); } $(document).delegate("button[id^='mf']", "click", function(){ fbcontainer=""; fbid = '#' + $(this).attr('id'); var sr = fbid.replace("#mf", ".sr"); $(fbid).parent().children(sr).toggle(); fbcontainer = $(fbid).parent().children(sr).children(".fb-comments").attr("id"); }); function onPlayerStateChange(event){ var ing, fid; //console.log(event + "---player"); $('iframe[id*="video-"]').each(function(){ _v = $(this).attr('id'); //console.log("_v: " + _v); if(_v != event){ //console.log("condition match"); ing = new YT.get(_v); if(ing.getPlayerState()=='1'){ ing.pauseVideo(); } } }); $('div[id*="video-"]').each(function(){ _v = $(this).attr('id'); //console.log("_v: " + _v + " event: " + event); if(_v != event){ //jwplayer(_v).play(false); } }); } function onYouTubePlay(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid){ if (typeof(YT) == 'undefined' || typeof(YT.Player) == 'undefined') { var tag = document.createElement('script'); tag.src = "https://www.youtube.com/iframe_api"; var firstScriptTag = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; firstScriptTag.parentNode.insertBefore(tag, firstScriptTag); window.onYouTubePlayerAPIReady = function() { onYouTubePlayer(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid); }; }else{onYouTubePlayer(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid);} } function onYouTubePlayer(vid, code, playDiv,vx, pvid){ //console.log(playDiv + "Get Youtue " + vid); //$("#"+vid).find(".playvideo-"+ vx).hide(); var player = new YT.Player(playDiv , { height: '450', width: '100%', videoId:code, playerVars: { 'autoplay': 1, 'showinfo': 1, 'controls': 1 }, events: { 'onStateChange': function(event){ onPlayerStateChange(event.target.a.id); } } }); $("#video-"+vid).show(); } function kalturaPlayerAPIReady(code, playDiv,pvid){ var dt=new Date; var nt=dt.getTime(); var vtitle = ""; var video_id_arr = code.split("https://zeenews.india.com/"); var youbora_video_id = video_id_arr[5].split("."); var youbora_video_id = '"' + youbora_video_id[0] + '"'; pre_roll = "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x480&iu=/11440465/Zeenews_English_Video/Zeenews_English_Preroll&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&description_url="+vtitle+"&correlator="+nt; var sources ={}; var config = { targetId: playDiv, provider: { partnerId: 2504201 }, playback: { pictureInPicture : true, autoplay: true }, advertising: { adBreaks: [{ position: 0, ads: [{ url: [pre_roll] }] }] }, plugins: { youbora: { options: { "content.title": "Australia shortens wait time for COVID-19 booster doses amid Omicron scare", "content.customDimension.1":"Zee News", "content.customDimension.2":"https://zeenews.india.com/", "content.customDimension.3":"2021-Dec-12 11:06:21", "content.customDimension.4":"Pushkar Tiwari", "content.customDimension.5":"2418524", "content.customDimension.6":"World,Omicron,Omicron Scare,Australia,COVID-19,Coranavirus,COVID-19 Booster Shot", "content.id":youbora_video_id, "content.language":"English" } }, ima: { adsResponse: "" } } } var kalturaPlayer = KalturaPlayer.setup(config); if(kalturaPlayer){ kalturaPlayer.reset(); } var videoUrl = code; var mediaid = '"zn' + pvid + '"'; sources = { hls: [{ id: mediaid, url: videoUrl, mimetype: "application/x-mpegURL" }] } kalturaplayerSetup(kalturaPlayer, sources); if (typeof kalturaPlayer !== 'undefined') { doRegisterEvents(kalturaPlayer); } } function kalturaplayerSetup(kalturaPlayer, playbackType){ kalturaPlayer.setMedia({ plugins: {}, sources: playbackType }); } function doRegisterEvents(kalturaPlayer) { /* player event*/ kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.Core.PLAY, playEvent); kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.Core.PAUSE, pauseEvent); kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.Core.PLAYBACK_ENDED, playbackEndedEvent); /* ad event */ kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_STARTED, adStartedEvent); kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_COMPLETED, adCompletedEvent); kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_SKIPPED, adSkippedEvent); kalturaPlayer.addEventListener(kalturaPlayer.Event.AD_CLICKED,adClicked); } var vlabel = "https://zeenews.india.com"+$(this).attr("video-path"); var isVideoPlayed = false; var isAdSkippedCompleted = false; function adStartedEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Adstarted', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); gtag('event', 'Play', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); isVideoPlayed = true; isAdSkippedCompleted = true; } function adCompletedEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Adcompleted', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); isAdSkippedCompleted = true; } function adSkippedEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Adskipped', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); isAdSkippedCompleted = true; } function adClicked(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Adclicked', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); } function playbackEndedEvent(event){ var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Complete', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); } function playEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; if((isVideoPlayed) && (isAdSkippedCompleted)){ isAdSkippedCompleted = false; }else if((isVideoPlayed)){ gtag('event', 'resume', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); }else{ gtag('event', 'Play', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); isVideoPlayed = true; } } function pauseEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag('event', 'Pause', { 'event_category': videotype, 'event_label': vlabel}); } function AdloadEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag("event", "kaltura_adloaded", { "event_category": videotype, "event_label": vlabel}); } function AdProgressEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag("event", "kaltura_adprogress", { "event_category": videotype, "event_label": vlabel}); } function adPausedEvent(event) { var videotype = "zee english video"; gtag("event", "kaltura_adpaused", { "event_category": videotype, "event_label": vlabel}); } /* End of Kaltura player function code */ $(document).delegate("div[id^='play']", "click", function(){ //console.log($(this).attr("id")); //console.log($(this).attr("video-source")); //console.log($(this).attr("video-code")); var isyoutube = $(this).attr("video-source"); var vurl = $(this).attr("video-path"); var vid = $(this).attr("id"); $(this).hide(); var pvid = $(this).attr("newsid"); var vx = $(this).attr("id").replace('play-',''); var vC = $(this).attr("video-code"); var playDiv = "video-" + vid + "-" + pvid; if(isyoutube =='No'){ kalturaPlayerAPIReady(vC, playDiv,pvid); }else{ onYouTubePlay(vid, vC, playDiv,vx, pvid); } }); $(document).delegate("div[id^='ptop']", "click", function(){ var vid = $(this).attr("id").replace('ptop',''); $(this).hide(); var pvid = $(this).attr("newsid"); var vurl = $(this).attr("video-path"); //console.log($(this).attr("id") + "--" + vid); //console.log($(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-source")); //console.log($(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-code")); var isyoutube = $(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-source"); var vC = $(this).parent().children().find('#play-'+vid).attr("video-code"); var playDiv = "mvideo-play-" + vid + "-" + pvid; if(isyoutube =='No'){ //console.log(jwplayer($(this).attr("id")).getState()); kalturaPlayerAPIReady(vC, playDiv,pvid); }else{ onYouTubePlay($(this).attr("id"), vC, playDiv, vid, pvid); } }); var nxti = 3; var ci = 1; var nxti_1 = 6; var nxti_2 = 9; var nxti_3 = 12; if($.autopager==false){ var use_ajax = false; /*var disqus_shortname="zeehindi"; var disqus_identifier; //made of post id and guid var disqus_url; //post permalink function loadDisqus(source, identifier, url, nid) { if (window.DISQUS) { //alert("if"); jQuery('
').insertAfter(source); jQuery('#disqus_thread').insertAfter(source); //append the HTML after the link //if Disqus exists, call it's reset method with new parameters DISQUS.reset({ reload: true, config: function () { this.page.identifier = identifier; this.page.url = url; } }); }else{ jQuery('
').insertAfter(source); disqus_identifier = identifier; //set the identifier argument disqus_url = url; //set the permalink argument //append the Disqus embed script to HTML var dsq = document.createElement('script'); dsq.type="text/javascript"; dsq.async = true; dsq.src="http://" + disqus_shortname + '.disqus.com/embed.js'; jQuery('head').append(dsq); } };*/ /*$('.disqusOn').live( "click", notify ); function notify() { identifier = $(this).attr('id'); dUrl = $(this).attr('disqus-url'); source = $(this).parent(); loadDisqus(jQuery(this), identifier, dUrl); }*/ function loadshare(curl){ history.replaceState('' ,'', curl); if(window.OBR){ window.OBR.extern.researchWidget(); } //console.log("loadshare Call->" + curl); //$('html head').find('title').text("main" + nxtTitle); if(_up == false){ var cu_url = curl; gtag('config', 'UA-2069755-1', {'page_path': cu_url }); if(window.COMSCORE){ window.COMSCORE.beacon({c1: "2", c2: "9254297"}); var e = Date.now(); $.ajax({ url: "/marathi/news/zscorecard.json?" + e, success: function(e) {} }) } //console.log('ga:'+r); /*(function () { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type="text/javascript"; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://' : 'http://') + 'stats.g.doubleclick.net/dc.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();*/ //console.log("loadshare Call"); } } if(use_ajax==false) { //console.log('getting'); var view_selector="div.center-section"; // + settings.view_name; + '.view-display-id-' + settings.display; var content_selector = view_selector; // + settings.content_selector; var items_selector = content_selector + ' > div.rep-block'; // + settings.items_selector; var pager_selector="div.next-story-block > div.view-zn-article-mc-all-2017 > div.view-content > div.clearfix"; // + settings.pager_selector; var next_selector="div.next-story-block > div.view-zn-article-mc-all-2017 > div.view-content > div.clearfix > a:last"; // + settings.next_selector; var auto_selector="div.tag-block"; var img_location = view_selector + ' > div.rep-block:last'; var img_path="
Loading
"; //settings.img_path; //var img = '
' + img_path + '
'; var img = img_path; //$(pager_selector).hide(); //alert($(next_selector).attr('href')); var x = 0; var url=""; var prevLoc = window.location.pathname; var circle = ""; var myTimer = ""; var interval = 30; var angle = 0; var Inverval = ""; var angle_increment = 6; var handle = $.autopager({ appendTo: content_selector, content: items_selector, runscroll: maindiv, link: next_selector, autoLoad: false, page: 0, start: function(){ $(img_location).after(img); circle = $('.center-section').find('#green-halo'); myTimer = $('.center-section').find('#myTimer'); angle = 0; Inverval = setInterval(function (){ $(circle).attr("stroke-dasharray", angle + ", 20000"); //myTimer.innerHTML = parseInt(angle/360*100) + '%'; if (angle >= 360) { angle = 1; } angle += angle_increment; }.bind(this),interval); }, load: function(){ $('div.loading-block').remove(); clearInterval(Inverval); //$('.repeat-block > .row > div.main-rhs2418524').find('div.rhs2418524:first').clone().appendTo('.repeat-block >.row > div.main-rhs' + x); $('div.rep-block > div.main-rhs2418524 > div:first').clone().appendTo('div.rep-block > div.main-rhs' + x); $('.center-section >.row:last').before('

Next Story

'); //$(".main-rhs" + x).theiaStickySidebar(); var fb_script=document.createElement('script'); fb_script.text= "(function(d, s, id) {var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if (d.getElementById(id)) return;js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;js.src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.9";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));"; var fmain = $(".sr"+ x); //alert(x+ "-" + url); var fdiv = '
'; //$(fb_script).appendTo(fmain); $(fdiv).appendTo(fmain); FB.XFBML.parse(); var $dfpAd = $('.center-section').children().find("#ad-"+ x); xp = "#star"+x; //var $dfpAdrhs = $('.main-rhs' + x).children().find('.adATF').empty().attr("id", "ad-300-" + x); //$('.content-area > .main-article > .row > .main-rhs'+x).find('#ad-300-' + x); //var $dfpAdrhs2 = $('.main-rhs' + x).children().find('.adBTF').empty().attr("id", "ad-300-2-" + x);//$('.content-area > .main-article > .row > .main-rhs'+x).find('#ad-300-2-' + x); //var $dfpMiddleAd = $('.content-area > .main-article > .row').find('#ar'+x).find('#ad-middle-' + x).empty(); //fillElementWithAd($dfpAdrhs, '/11440465/Zeenews_English_Web/Zeenews_English_AS_ATF_300x250', [[300, 250], [300, 600]], {}); //fillElementWithAd($dfpAdrhs2, '/11440465/Zeenews_English_Web/Zeenews_English_AS_BTF_1_300x250', [300, 250], {}); //fillElementWithAd($dfpMiddleAd, '/11440465/Zeenews_Hindi_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF', [300, 250], {}); var instagram_script=document.createElement('script'); instagram_script.defer="defer"; instagram_script.async="async"; instagram_script.src="https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"; /*var outbrain_script=document.createElement('script'); outbrain_script.type="text/javascript"; outbrain_script.async="async"; outbrain_script.src="https://widgets.outbrain.com/outbrain.js"; var Omain = $("#outbrain-"+ x); //alert(Omain + "--" + $(Omain).length); $(Omain).after(outbrain_script); var rhs = $('.main-article > .row > div.article-right-part > div.rhs2418524:first').clone(); $(rhs).find('.ad-one').attr("id", "ad-300-" + x).empty(); $(rhs).find('.ad-two').attr("id", "ad-300-2-" + x).empty(); //$('.main-article > .row > div.article-right-part > div.rhs2418524:first').clone().appendTo('.main-article > .row > div.main-rhs' + x); $(rhs).appendTo('.main-article > .row > div.main-rhs' + x); */ setTimeout(function(){ var twit = $("div.field-name-body").find('blockquote[class^="twitter"]').length; var insta = $("div.field-name-body").find('blockquote[class^="instagram"]').length; if(twit==0){twit = ($("div.field-name-body").find('twitterwidget[class^="twitter"]').length);} if(twit>0){ if (typeof (twttr) != 'undefined') { twttr.widgets.load(); } else { $.getScript('https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js'); } //$(twit).addClass('tfmargin'); } if(insta>0){ $('.content > .left-block:last').after(instagram_script); //$(insta).addClass('tfmargin'); window.instgrm.Embeds.process(); } }, 1500); } }); /*$("#loadmore").click(function(){ x=$(next_selector).attr('id'); var url = $(next_selector).attr('href'); disqus_identifier="ZNH" + x; disqus_url = url; handle.autopager('load'); history.pushState('' ,'', url); setTimeout(function(){ //twttr.widgets.load(); //loadDisqus(jQuery(this), disqus_identifier, disqus_url); }, 6000); });*/ /*$("button[id^='mf']").live("click", disqusToggle); function disqusToggle() { console.log("Main id: " + $(this).attr('id')); }*/ $(document).delegate("button[id^='mf']", "click", function(){ fbcontainer=""; fbid = '#' + $(this).attr('id'); var sr = fbid.replace("#mf", ".sr"); //console.log("Main id: " + $(this).attr('id') + "Goodbye!jQuery 1.4.3+" + sr); $(fbid).parent().children(sr).toggle(); fbcontainer = $(fbid).parent().children(sr).children(".fb-comments").attr("id"); //console.log(fbcontainer); //var commentsContainer = document.getElementById(fbcontainer); //commentsContainer.innerHTML = ''; }); /************Player Code ***********/ var title, imageUrl, description, author, shortName, identifier, timestamp, summary, newsID, nextnews; var previousScroll = 0; //console.log("prevLoc" + prevLoc); $(window).scroll(function(){ var last = $(auto_selector).filter(':last'); var lastHeight = last.offset().top ; //st = $(layout).scrollTop(); //console.log("st:" + st); var currentScroll = $(this).scrollTop(); if (currentScroll > previousScroll){ _up = false; } else { _up = true; } previousScroll = currentScroll; //console.log("_up" + _up); var cutoff = $(window).scrollTop() + 64; //console.log(cutoff + "**"); $('div[id^="row"]').each(function(){ //console.log("article" + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr("id") + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url')); if($(this).offset().top + $(this).height() > cutoff){ //console.log("$$" + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url')); if(prevLoc != $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url')){ prevLoc = $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-url'); $('html head').find('title').text($(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-title')); $('meta[name=description]').attr("content",$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-summary')); $('meta[name=keywords]').attr("content",$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-keyword')); $('meta[name=news_keywords]').attr("content",$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-keyword')); pSUPERFLY.virtualPage(prevLoc,$(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-title')); //console.log("Summary: " + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-summary')); //console.log("Keyword: " + $(this).children().find('.left-block').attr('data-keyword')); //history.pushState('' ,'', prevLoc); loadshare(prevLoc); } return false; // stops the iteration after the first one on screen } }); if(lastHeight + last.height() < $(document).scrollTop() + $(window).height()){ //console.log("**get"); url = $(next_selector).attr('href'); x=$(next_selector).attr('id'); //console.log("x:" + x); //handle.autopager('load'); /*setTimeout(function(){ //twttr.widgets.load(); //loadDisqus(jQuery(this), disqus_identifier, disqus_url); }, 6000);*/ } //lastoff = last.offset(); //console.log("**" + lastoff + "**"); }); //$( ".content-area" ).click(function(event) { // console.log(event.target.nodeName); //}); /*$( ".comment-button" ).live("click", disqusToggle); function disqusToggle() { var id = $(this).attr("id"); $("#disqus_thread1" + id).toggle(); };*/ //$(".main-rhs2418524").theiaStickySidebar(); var prev_content_height = $(content_selector).height(); //$(function() { var layout = $(content_selector); var st = 0; ///}); } } }); /*} };*/ })(jQuery); ,