Baby Vaani’s Valentine’s Day arrival a sweet gift for her parents

Sandeep Mann can’t wipe the smile off her face as she nurses her newborn baby girl – a special delivery on Valentine’s Day.

Baby Vaani was born at Brisbane’s Mater Mothers’ Hospital at 5.54am weighing 3.276kg.

Mrs Mann, a clinical nurse, said Vaani’s birth was a “great surprise” for her family as she was one week overdue.

“I was actually 41 weeks into my pregnancy and really, this is the best gift my husband Balwinder and I could receive on such a special day,” Mrs Mann, of Kuraby, said.

“Our son Kabir is 17 months old, and he is going to love meeting his baby sister. He just loves kids.”

Mrs Mann said her relatives in India were “very excited” about Vaani’s Valentine’s Day arrival.

“My parents are here to help look after Kabir and send him to Kindy while we get ready to bring Vaani home,” she said.

Baby Vaani has lots of hair and is very active and alert, said Mrs Mann.

Mater Mothers’ Hospitals are Australia’s largest maternity service with almost 12 000 babies born every year.

Student and Working Holiday Maker visa holders

18 January 2022

​​The Morrison Government has announced a series of visa measures to provide an incentive for fully vaccinated Student and Working Holiday Maker visa holders to return to Australia as soon as possible to help address current workforce shortages caused by COVID-19.

Refunds of Visa Application Charges

Working Holiday Maker visa holders who are currently offshore and come to Australia during the next 12 weeks will be eligible for a refund of their Visa Application Charge.

Any Student visa holder who is currently offshore and comes to Australia over the next 8 weeks, will be eligible for a refund of their Visa Application Charge.

The current Visa Application Charge for a student is $630 and for a Working Holiday Maker it is $495.

These changes will also apply for new applications, which will be processed quickly so applicants can come to Australia during the refund window.

As well as providing an incentive for existing offshore visa holders to bring forward their travel, these changes will generate new interest in Australia and new visa applications.

The provision of refunds and priority visa processing, together with a Tourism Australia advertising campaign, will generate fresh interest in Australia from students and Working Holiday Makers who contribute greatly to our economy and fill vital skills gaps.

International Student – Working Hours Flexibility

The Morrison Government has supported Australian businesses during the pandemic by allowing Student visa holders to work additional hours in critical sectors.

Due to current workforce shortages, the Government is temporarily extending this arrangement by removing the limit on Student visa holders’ working hours across all sectors of the economy.

This measure takes effect immediately for all ongoing students as well as new student arrivals who start a job prior to their course commencement, and will be reviewed in April 2022.

Working Holiday Makers – Employer Flexibility

In addition, effective immediately and until the end of 2022, there will be no limit on the length of time Working Holiday Makers can work for the same employer.

The above measures are temporary and designed to provide immediate assistance to Australian businesses that are currently facing critical workforce shortages, to enable them to continue delivering goods and services to the community.

There are currently around 150,000 Student and 23,500 Working Holiday Maker visa holders offshore.

All international arrivals must be fully vaccinated or hold a valid medical exemption.

Further details will be available on the Department of Home Affairs website.

Pregnancy and COVID-19 vaccines and information for people who have been vaccinated overseas

Everyone in Australia 12 years of age and over can have a free COVID-19 vaccine at participating pharmacies, doctors’ clinics, and government clinics. While more than 80 per cent of people in Australia aged 16 and over are now fully vaccinated with two doses, there is still misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. Read on to find out about COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy, how and where you can get vaccinated and to learn more about the importance of maintaining good hygiene and physical distancing.

 Is it safe to get vaccinated if I am pregnant, planning to start a family or breastfeeding?

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) are the scientists and medical experts who regulate and approve all vaccines, medicines and other medical products for use in Australia. The TGA has approved Comirnaty (Pfizer) and Spikevax (Moderna) vaccines for pregnant and breastfeeding women and those planning a pregnancy.

The risk of getting serious side effects from COVID-19 and needing intensive care is higher for pregnant women and their unborn baby. Vaccination is the best way to reduce these risks.

A study from the United States of more than 35,000 pregnant women showed that vaccination does not increase the chances of complications such as premature delivery, stillbirth, and birth defects. Scientific evidence suggests that the antibodies created by pregnant women after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine can cross the placenta, particularly in women vaccinated early in pregnancy who received both doses before their baby was born. These antibodies may provide the baby with some protection against COVID-19 for the first few months of life.

For people wanting to start a family, getting vaccinated before conceiving means you are likely to have protection against COVID-19 throughout your pregnancy. Getting vaccination does not affect fertility or your chances to conceive. 

What are the next steps if you have just arrived in Australia after being partly or fully vaccinated overseas?

If you have received an approved vaccine while overseas, you can have it recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) upon returning to Australia, provided your documents are in English. It will then appear on your immunisation history statement (IHS).

If your vaccination documents are not in English, you can get them translated. The Department of Home Affairs website has a free translating service which you can use. Find out more at translating.homeaffairs.gov.au.

The approved vaccines that are recognised in Australia are: AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, Sinova Coronavac, Sinopharm BBIBP-CorV, Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine, and Bharat Biotech Covaxin.

If you have not been vaccinated with the above approved vaccines, you do not meet Australia’s definition for being fully vaccinated.

If you have only had your first dose of any of these vaccines, you can book to have your second dose at a participating pharmacy, doctors’ clinics, or government clinic. If it has been more than 6 months since you had your second dose, you are eligible to take a booster shot.

Remember to continue washing your hands regularly – and maintain cough and sneeze hygiene and physical distancing. You may still be required to wear a mask in some locations. If you have any symptoms such as a sore throat, runny nose, cough or fever, get tested and stay at home until you receive a negative test result.

To book your COVID-19 vaccine or booster dose appointment, visit australia.gov.au, or call 1800 020 080. For interpreting services, call 131 450.

Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra.

PAUSE TO FURTHER EASING OF BORDER RESTRICTIONS

Monday 29 November 2021

On the basis of medical advice provided by the Chief Medical Officer of Australia, Professor Paul Kelly, the National Security Committee has taken the necessary and temporary decision to pause the next step to safely reopen Australia to international skilled and student cohorts, as well as humanitarian, working holiday maker and provisional family visa holders from 1 December until 15 December.

The reopening to travellers from Japan and the Republic of Korea will also be paused until 15 December.

The temporary pause will ensure Australia can gather the information we need to better understand the Omicron variant, including the efficacy of the vaccine, the range of illness, including if it may generate more mild symptoms, and the level of transmission.

Australia’s border is already closed to travellers except fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents and immediate family, as well as fully vaccinated green lane travellers from New Zealand and Singapore and limited exemptions.

All arrivals to Australia also require a negative PCR test and to complete Australian traveller declaration forms detailing their vaccination status and confirming requirements to comply with state and territory public health requirements.

On Saturday, the Australian Government announced the following measures:

1. Effective immediately, anyone who is not a citizen or permanent resident of Australia, or their immediate family including parents of citizens, and who have been in African countries where the Omicron variant has been detected and spread – within the past 14 days – will not be able to enter Australia. The countries are: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Malawi and Mozambique.
2. Australian citizens and permanent residents, immediate family members including parents arriving from these countries will need to go into immediate supervised quarantine for 14 days subject to jurisdictional arrangements.
3. Anyone who has already arrived in Australia and who has been in any of the eight countries within the past 14 days must immediately isolate themselves and get tested for COVID-19 and follow jurisdictional quarantine requirements which will include quarantine for 14 days from the time of departure from southern Africa.
4. These restrictions also apply to people, for instance international students and skilled migrants, arriving from the safe travel zones we have established with New Zealand and Singapore who have been in any of the eight countries within the past 14 days.

There are no flights planned from these countries.

These measures will also be continued until 15 December.

Upon further advice from Professor Kelly, Seychelles has been removed from the list of countries of concern.

Australian Border Force retains discretion to allow people in who are already in transit to enter, but these people will be subject to state based isolation requirements.

Under state public health requirements, New South Wales and Victoria have already initiated testing and 72 hours of isolation requirements for Australian citizens, permanent residents and immediate family members entering the country. In other states, 14 days of managed quarantine is required, and traveller cap arrangements are in place.

The Australian Government’s quarantine facility at Howard Springs in Darwin is available to support returning Australians each fortnight as required.

The Prime Minister has called a meeting of National Cabinet tomorrow to further discuss the Omicron variant and Australia’s response.

Australians can be assured that we are in a strong position to deal with COVID and its emerging challenges.

We have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with 92.3 per cent having had a first dose and 86.8 per cent of our eligible population now double vaccinated, and we have one of the only whole of population booster programs being delivered, with around 415,000 Australians having received their booster.

Australia has a proven record of dealing with COVID, we have one of the lowest fatality rates, highest vaccination rates and strongest economies in the world.

We will continue to take sensible and responsive evidence based action, led by medical experts. This will ensure we can open safely, and stay safely open as we learn to live with the virus.