Shane Fitzsimmons has been NSW's go-to guy all summer. It's equal parts wonderful to see him enter a different realm of public life, and equal parts terrifying. Terrifying because there must be something seriously awry for the state to need a Resilience Commissioner. But here we are.
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The former NSW Rural Fire Services chief will head up a new disaster preparedness and recovery agency called Resilience NSW.
Mr Fitzsimmons accepted the role, he said, to continue to make a "meaningful difference" in the lives and livelihoods of people, communities, business and industry.
Although he will not make his way into the new role until May, you have to think health authorities expanding coronavirus testing to 13 hotspots across NSW is part of the action plan.
On the day the state's death toll from the virus hit 18, NSW Health will begin where authorities have seen evidence of local transmission - Broken Hill, Lake Macquarie, Manning, Waverley, Woollahra, Ryde, Macquarie Park, Dee Why, Manly, Nowra, South Nowra, the Byron Bay area and Port Macquarie.
Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein on Monday confirmed two of the state's newly-diagnosed cases were part of the North West Regional Hospital "cluster".
An investigation was underway to identify the close contacts of the two cases in the community and the hospital, and the risk to people at the hospital, he said.
Meanwhile, Victoria's cases continue to show a considerable slow down, with 23 COVID-19 confirmations announced today. However, there were two more deaths overnight, including a man in his 50s.
Calls are continuing to grow for South Australia's Kangaroo Island to have some "alone time" after a hellish summer and now, a confirmed case of COVID-19.
"We don't have the medical facilities on Kangaroo Island to deal with an outbreak," local Labor MP Leon Bignell said.
The "thanks all the same, stay away" message has also been issued by WA Premier Mark McGowan, who also confirmed an 84-year-old man who travelled onboard the Ruby Princess cruise ship died overnight at Royal Perth Hospital.
Mr McGowan warned the measure could be in place for "many months" and reiterated he did not want interstate travellers coming to WA.
"Don't come, we don't want you, stay away. Don't drive across because if you're not exempt, you're going to be turned around."
Back on the other side of the country, the Ruby Princess made its way down the NSW coast from Sydney to Port Kembla, much to the displeasure of some in the Illawarra.
It'll be there for 10 days, authorities say.
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