CAMP OUT, CAMP IN

According to The Australian ($), the Queensland government is considering flying international travellers into remote workers camps after an outbreak of the UK COVID-19 strain at a Brisbane hotel led to hundreds of people being forced to repeat quarantine.

The plan, which could be rolled out nationally and was originally backed by police last year before being dropped following a fall in community transmissions, will be discussed today by Queensland Health, police, and managers of proposed facilities.

In other domestic COVID-19 news:

• Residents of 14 Sydney suburbs have been warned to check for symptoms after virus fragments were found at a West Hornsby treatment plant: Glenorie, Wahroonga, Thornleigh, Pennant Hills, Cherrybrook, Castle Hill, Galston, Dural, Westleigh, Glenhaven, Waitara, Hornsby, Normanhurst and West Pennant Hills (7News)
• Gladys Berejiklian has announced the NSW government will require travellers to quarantine for 14 days from the start of their symptoms if they test positive for the UK strain of COVID-19 (AFR $)
• Chief medical officer Paul Kelly attempted to calm debate over the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine by declaring the drug is effective, locally-manufactured, and therefore “available to give the maximum rollout” to “save lives” (ABC)
  • Unlike members of the Morrison government, Kelly also hosed down Craig Kelly’s false claims over ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine as COVID-19 treatments (The Sydney Morning Herald)
• A foreign military official and the partner of another have tested positive in a Darwin quarantine hotel, while the Department of Defence says they have not come into contact with any locals (ABC)
• Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has announced that masks are now mandatory in every airport across the state, with failure to comply carrying fines of up to $50,000 (7News).

REPUBLICANS FLEE SINKING SHIP

Several US House Republicans have flagged their intention to vote for Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment today, ahead of a vote that CNN’s live-blog reports should pass the Democrat-controlled House sometime between 3-4 pm ET (7-8am AEDT). GOP sources suggest that even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell supports impeachment.

The vote will uniquely take place at a point in time in which Trump is both banned from Twitter and has no public schedule, and comes as the FBI announces more than 170 investigations into last week’s attack — which it says it warned other law enforcement agencies of ahead of time; see Business Insider for a guide to those ignored online warnings — and begins arrests of armed far-right extremists making online threats ahead of Joe Biden’s inauguration next Wednesday, January 20.

PS: According to the Associated Press, Kansas woman Lisa Montgomery has become the first female inmate to be executed in nearly seven decades, with two more federal prisoners set to be killed before Biden’s presidency promises to again end federal executions.

PPS: Looking ahead to that presidency, The New York Times reports that incoming chair of the Senate Budget Committee Bernie Sanders is planning to include funding for $1400 cheques, vaccine distribution, testing and contact tracing, and an emergency universal health care program in the next stimulus package.

IS THERE A DEBTOR WAY?

In industrial news, The Age reports that Small Business Ombudsman Kate Carnell has called for a HECS-style loan system for small businesses after JobKeeper ends in March.

The Australian ($) meanwhile cites new Treasury figures showing households and businesses have saved more than $200 billion throughout the pandemic, which, for some, will come in handy as the government puts JobSeeker back below poverty rates.