New strain of COVID-19 found in UK more infectious, but not more severe - 9News

Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said Australian authorities are closely watching the new strain, which is thought to be more transmissible than what has currently been tested here.

"This variant is not more severe, doesn't cause more severe illness. There is no increase in hospitalisation or increase in 28-day mortality," Professor Kelly said.

Australia's Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly. (9News)

"So they are positive signs. It does appear that it is more transmissible, but not majorly so, and I would maintain that our two weeks of quarantine with someone in their own room in a hotel means that it doesn't really matter whether that's more transmissible or not."

Professor Kelly said the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine in Australia was "on target", but it had not yet received regulatory approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

"There are no approvals yet, no full approvals yet anywhere in the world for any COVID vaccine," Professor Kelly said.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson with a vial of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University COVID-19 candidate vaccine, known as AZD1222. (Getty)

"We will do our full assessment. Our Therapeutic Goods Administration is onto that.

"They will be fast, but they will be thorough, and we need to keep that confidence and people should have confidence in that regulatory approach here in Australia, particularly around safety, but also quality of these brand new vaccines."

Professor Kelly said the idea of a vaccine passport – where immunised travellers can skip quarantine on entry to Australia – is currently being discussed but is not currently in operation.

Ambulances outside the Royal London Hospital. (AP)

"There is no change. If people have been vaccinated or not, they will be having 14 days quarantine for the time being," Professor Kelly said.

"We have some time to consider these matters, but for the moment, vaccination will not be an alternative to 14-day quarantine, and those decision also have to be thought through carefully over the coming months as to how that will be handled."

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMijgFodHRwczovL3d3dy45bmV3cy5jb20uYXUvbmF0aW9uYWwvYXVzdHJhbGlhLWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXVrLXN0cmFpbi1tb3JlLWluZmVjdGlvdXMtYnV0LW5vdC1tb3JlLXNldmVyZS1jaG8vMDVhMzRkMjUtMWZkNy00ZjI3LWE5YjEtMDJiNDVhNjQ5YTI00gFFaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuOW5ld3MuY29tLmF1L2FydGljbGUvMDVhMzRkMjUtMWZkNy00ZjI3LWE5YjEtMDJiNDVhNjQ5YTI0?oc=5

2020-12-30 02:52:00Z
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