Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has been forced to apologise live on air after saying people “aren’t dying” from Covid-19, despite record breaking death statistics.For much of the pandemic, Australia has been the envy of the rest of the world for how it kept Covid-19 at bay and fatalities low.But, while NSW and Victoria are likely over the peak of their Omicron wave, both the United States and Europe have issued a stark warning to residents urging them not to travel to Australia.When asked whether Australia could still say it was the “envy of the world” when by the European Council and the US Centre for Disease Control have both labelled the country as “danger zones”, Mr Joyce said Australia could still take pride in the way it had handled the pandemic.“People aren’t dying,” Mr Joyce told RN Breakfast.He was immediately picked up on the point by host Patricia Karvelas who said “people are dying. People are dying every day”.Mr Joyce immediately sought to cover his tracks and apologised.“Sorry, s