Auslan Update - 17 February

National:

World number one tennis player Ash Barty has made a shock exit from the Australian Open after losing her quarter-final to Karolina Muchova.

Ash is an Australian Indigenous tennis player.
Muchova had to take a medical timeout in the second set and Ash appeared heading for a convincing win but in the end Muchova won.

A Liberal party staffer, Brittany Higgins alleges she was raped inside Linda Reynold’s office in 2019.

She says she didn’t want to make a formal complaint because she wanted to protect her job and the reputation of the Liberal Party.
Her story follows those of other women who have spoken out about the inappropriate treatment they experienced working at parliament house.

ALTERNATIVE STORY:

Several sick and dead turtles have been found on beaches near Yeppon after eating plastic.

The Department of Environment is working with international researchers to study the impact of plastic on marine life.
Chief Scientific Officer Col Limpus said fragments of floating hard plastics and soft plastics have been found in the post-hatchlings turtles.

Victoria:

Dan Andrews has announced that the 5-day lockdown will finish from 11:59pm tonight.

Despite lockdown ending, there are restrictions put in place. Masks remain mandatory in all indoor settings outside the home and outdoor settings where keeping 1.5 meters is not possible.
From 11:59pm tonight, Victorians will only be allowed to have 5 people in their home and not 15.
Up to 20 people of any household will be allowed at public gatherings.
Hospitality venues, hairdressers and personal services will return to their pre-lockdown settings.
The new restrictions will remain in place until at least next Friday.

Dan Andrews announced that yesterday was the “single biggest” day of COVID testing in Victoria.

Tasmania:

A Victorian woman has been sent home from Tasmania after alleged hotel quarantine breach in Launceston.

Footage circulated on social media showed a woman climbing down from an awning outside the Peppers Seaport Hotel.
She was carrying a bag, which she dropped to the ground before climbing down.
She was directed to return to Victoria and left Tasmania yesterday after appearing at the Launceston Magistrates Court.
The woman is due back in court next month.

A group of camels led by an expert cameleer became stuck on rocky terrain on the Tasmanian trail, near Poatina.

Police, fire services and SES volunteers arrived at the scene to help.
The volunteers had to become camel handlers and guide them along 1.2km of steep uphil terrain.

International:

Health authorities in England have identitified38 cases of a new COVID variant.

Sources: