Key Points
- The Australian economy grew 0.9 per cent in the June quarter
- 1,700 Australian children may have lost one or both parents since the pandemic started: New study
- The US hints at shifting to annual COVID vaccines
On Wednesday, Australia reported at least 60 COVID-19 deaths, including 24 in Queensland, 21 in New South Wales and 11 in Victoria.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Wednesday showed the Australian economy grew 0.9 per cent in the June quarter (1 April -30 June) due to borders reopening and the booming export sector.
The ABS said growth is returning closer to pre-pandemic rates.
"Australian Gross domestic product was greatly affected by the L-strain and the Delta outbreaks of COVID-19, resulting in two large falls in GDP during the height of restrictions across Australia. Strong rebounds in growth followed as the population emerged from lockdowns," it said.
A new study from the Australian National University showed about 13 people under the age of 18 lost one or both parents for every 100 COVID-related deaths in the country.
It is estimated that 1,700 Australian children may have lost at least one parent since the pandemic began.
A global study published in JAMA Network showed more than 10.5 million children lost one or both parents during the coronavirus pandemic.
Countries with the highest numbers of bereaved children included Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.
The US is moving toward an annual COVID vaccine dose as new boosters reportedly provide protection against current coronavirus variants.
White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr Ashish Jha said a single annual COVID shot should provide a high degree of protection against serious illness all year for most Americans.
Find a Long COVID clinic
Find a COVID-19 testing clinic
Register your RAT results here, if you're positive
Read all COVID-19 information in your language on the
