Health

The Northern Territory and ACT remain banned from voting on legalising voluntary assisted dying and, as of Thursday, are the last jurisdictions without it. It's now erupted into an election issue.

Mark McGowan says this year's budget aims to ease cost of living pressures, but welfare groups say it's not enough while unions describe the absence of a pay rise for public sector workers is a "kick in the guts".

The WA Vaccine Commander says Indigenous vaccination rates in some communities are "nowhere near" high enough ahead of the state's border opening at midnight. 

SA Health's list of exposure sites grows — almost a week after it was last updated — with a Hindley Street nightclub being added to the list.

New Australian research has found one third of women who undergo fertility treatment have undiagnosed endometriosis. Emma Pollard reports.

Scott Morrison accuses Queensland of using the pandemic to 'extort' more money from the Commonwealth, as state and territory health ministers call for hospital 'crisis funding'. Andrew Probyn reports.

The chance of regional Victoria getting out of the state's lockdown is slipping away with new confirmed cases. 

Children appear to be testing positive in numbers not previously seen in Australia. Michael Slezak reports.

Due to local transmission of COVID-19 in Sydney, Bondi testing clinics have long lines with people trying to get tested.

A vending machine for free period products is installed at Echuca-Moama's women's health centre and expected to deliver 100 packs of pads and tampons each month.

MORNING BRIEFING: A decision is expected on Kathleen Folbigg's appeal against a review that reinforced her convictions for killing her babies.

A leading epidemiologist says it is critical to isolate the air circulating between rooms and corridors in hotel quarantine to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy tells a parliamentary committee that if herd immunity against COVID-19 is possible, we may need to vaccinate children, who are not currently included in the vaccine roadmap as "if recommended".

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt says the Government will offer COVID-19 vaccinations free to all visa holders in Australia, including refugees and asylum seekers, in order to achieve "the maximum level of coverage".

Singaporean officials say they expect the nation's first shipment of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine to arrive around March, in the wake of the country becoming Asia's first to approve the jab.

WA Premier Mark McGowan reveals the security guard at the Four Points Hotel who contracted the highly infectious UK variant of COVID-19 delivered medicine to a returned traveller who had coronavirus.

WA's Premier says NSW will likely reach 28 days without community transmission of COVID-19 in mid-February, at which point his Government will consider easing restrictions for that state.

veHealth Minister Greg Hunt says the fact there have been over 100 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide but Australia has gone 12 days without community transmission is an "immensely powerful reminder of Australia's circumstances".

Acting Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd says 12 people who were in hotel quarantine in Auckland arrived in Sydney before the travel bubble was suspended, with three of them transiting on to Hong Kong.

Researchers from the University of NSW are turning their focus from how masks can stop the spread of coronavirus, to how they can protect against bushfire smoke.

Victorians who missed the border crossing deadline are being warned not to attempt to make the crossing because they will be turned around. So what happens next?

It comes as the state's transition commission meets to decide on borders and business capacity limits.

Victoria's Chief Medical Officer Andrew Wilson has defended the state's personal protective equipment (PPE) guidelines for healthcare workers, but says authorities are also "very careful" about ensuring the long-term supply is sustainable.

Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton gives evidence to the COVID-19 Hotel Quarantine Inquiry about the position of state controller.

Video posted on social media showed the moment a 28-year-old man ran onto the field during a game between Collingwood and Geelong. He is facing a $50,000 fine for breaching a COVID-19 quarantine zone.