Residents of greater Sydney have again found themselves isolated, as every state and territory moves to lock them out after a COVID-19 cluster on the city's northern beaches ballooned to 70 cases.
London and southeast England may stay under tighter coronavirus curbs for some time, with Britain's health minister saying dropping plans to ease restrictions for Christmas was needed to stem a new fast-spreading strain.
Moderna's coronavirus vaccine has become the second to receive emergency use authorisation (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration, which is welcome news to a nation with a staggering COVID-19 death toll of more than 307,000 lives lost.
Sydney's northern beaches peninsula has entered quasi-lockdown as a local coronavirus cluster jumps to 28 people and several states implement or flag the reimposition of travel bans on NSW residents.
Health Minister Greg Hunt says Australian authorities are well prepared to tackle the growing NSW coronavirus cluster, which has thrown a spanner into the nation's Christmas travel plans.