Australia news live: Djokovic trains on centre court as supporters take to Melbourne streets; Morrison government yet to decide on visa cancellation | Australia news

New guidelines being considered by national cabinet will see a return of fruit and vegetables to the supermarket shelves within the week, AAP reports.

Supermarkets have been overwhelmed by panic-buying just as transport and logistics companies and suppliers are hit by large proportions of workers calling in sick or dealing with tough Covid-19 quarantine rules.

Australian Fresh Produce Alliance chief executive Michael Rogers had warned that fruit and vegetables could rot in the fields because of the supply chain issues and a shortage of workers.

Guidelines issued by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee have changed the definition of close contacts for those exposed to Covid-19 working in critical food and grocery production, manufacturing, logistics and distribution facilities.

Rogers:

The measures that change requirements for close contacts which have been announced are very welcome because they put capacity back in the system, but it’s still going to be a very tight situation.

The decision by Queensland, NSW and Victoria will put fruit and veg back on shelves in those states, the national guidelines go a long way to a nationally consistent approach. Other states won’t see disruption to supply in the same way as it’s been seen in Sydney.

It is expected supermarket shelves will begin to fill over the next week.

The national cabinet is set to discuss the guidelines on Thursday but the prime minister wants action before then. Morrison said governments were determined to minimise the impact of the Omicron strain of Covid-19 on the workforce.

Close contacts who test negative but are asymptomatic will be able to continue to work, but be monitored using rapid antigen tests. The rules won’t apply to frontline retail workers such as supermarket checkout operators.

Other industries could soon follow suit, including aviation, with some premiers also seeking new rules to cover the hospitality and catering industries.

Amid supply chain and staff shortages, Australian Council of Trade Unions Secretary Sally McManus has written to prime minister Scott Morrison overnight calling for an urgent meeting to discuss the impact of Omicron on exhausted essential workers.

In a statement, she said:

The prime minister has not heard from working people and we are on the front lines. Australian workers are not ok at the moment. We have never had so many working people sick at once. Healthcare workers are exhausted, people are anxious and uncertain.

The Unions’ list of demands includes restoring pandemic leave for close contacts of infected colleagues, free rapid antigen tests and priority for frontline workers until supply issues are resolved, and mandating N95 or P2 standard masks.

McManus:

Many are losing pay while sick as they have no sick leave. Others are losing hours and their jobs as businesses close or cut back in what is turning into an unofficial lockdown.

Good morning,

We’re 11 days into the year, Novak Djokovic is still in the country, and I am back to knowing what day of the week it is.

Caitlin Cassidy here to guide you through this morning’s news, and all eyes are on the Serbian tennis player, who yesterday won an appeal against his visa cancellation after spending four days in an immigration detention centre.

A wild 24 hours saw ecstatic Djokovic’s fans pepper-sprayed by police as they celebrated his release in Melbourne. But the victory comes with the threat immigration minister Alex Hawke may revoke his entry visa for a second time, using powers granted by Australia’s Migration Act. Djokovic said he was “pleased” and “grateful” for the ruling, and was still determined to stay and compete at the Australian Open.

Meanwhile, Australia is still in a pandemic, and passed the grim milestone of one million active Covid-19 cases yesterday. There have been 250,000 Covid cases since Friday alone.

There were a record 18 deaths in NSW yesterday, as Nine newspapers flags the state government is set to mandate the registration of positive rapid antigen tests.

With public hospitals under increased pressure, the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association is calling on the Commonwealth to increase resources in the aged care sector as a matter of urgency, citing a “staffing crisis” and lack of equipment including correct masks and RATs.

There’s much to get through, so let’s dive in.