New South Wales (NSW) has reported 2566 new cases of Covid-19, breaking another record, four people have died in Victoria, and maskless Santa photos will be allowed in Queensland.
Sydney beachgoers were able to go maskless on Bondi Beach this week, after NSW eased restrictions. Photo: AFP
NSW figures boosted by Omicron
Authorities have reported 2566 new cases of Covid-19 in NSW, breaking another record.
It is the highest tally of daily coronavirus cases yet in Australia, increasing from the 2482 cases announced yesterday.
Cases were expected to jump with the ongoing relaxation of public health orders, while the Omicron variant has been blamed for the fast rise in infections.
There were no deaths from the virus in NSW on Saturday, but NSW Health said 227 people were in hospital in the state, including 28 people in intensive care wards.
In a press conference this afternoon NSW premier Dominic Perrottet said the government was closely monitoring the situation, but stressed booster shots were the key to protecting the community from the virus.
More than 57,000 people in NSW have received a booster shot of a Covid-19 vaccine in the last seven days, up from 15,000 the week before.
"As we move through the next phase, case numbers will increase. That is the new normal," he said.
With some countries in Europe introducing new lockdowns, Perrottet was asked what would trigger tightened restrictions or new lockdowns in NSW: "ICU presentations are the key metric for us," he said.
"We want to make sure that our health system has the capacity as we move through this next challenge of the pandemic ... that we can deal with the challenges that come our way."
The low number of current ICU presentations was positive, he said.
"When we believe there's evidence in front of us we need to potentially tighten restrictions we will. And it's almost certainly as we move through - as we see overseas as they head into the winter months - certain challenges will come our way.
"There will be curve balls... there's almost certainly to be other variants that may come our way, and we'll need to respond."
More than 148,900 people were tested in NSW on Saturday, and 93.4 percent of people aged over 16 are fully-vaccinated.
It was "strongly recommended" to wear a mask in most settings, Perrottet said, but he placed the onus on people taking "personal responsibility" for their health.
"And the people of New South Wales are doing just that. The government can't do everything," he said.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard urged people to join the "booster club", and said the four-fold increase in booster shots in the past week showed people were "voting with their feet".
Hazzard said he hoped NSW would not reach 25,000 cases per day, and that the summer environment made it difficult to compare local Omicron data to events overseas.
"It is hard to distinguish or understand the full impact until we see more weeks of experience in what is going on here New South Wales as to whether or not it is going to really lift our hospital intake or not," he said.
"We are on high alert, as you would expect us to be."
NSW Labor leader Chris Minns said the opposition would throw its support behind a mask mandate, saying it was not an onerous change, was supported by medical experts and could prevent a lockdown.
"We think this is a common sense decision that should be made by the New South Wales government," he said.
Queensland reporting the vaccine is effective against Omicron
Queensland has reported 42 new Covid-19 cases, most of which are mild.
State chief health officer John Gerrard said the clinical experience there was showing the effectiveness of the vaccines against the new Omicron variant.
"Most of the patients we have seen with the Omicron strain who are vaccinated have very mild symptoms," he said.
"We will be however getting more information as the days and weeks go past, particularly from overseas. We still don't have all the information on that ... but the vaccines still appear to be effective."
He said public health measures like isolating people who had been in contact with cases was still important to allow vulnerable people and healthcare workers to get their third doses.
Queensland police minister Mark Ryan has said people do not have to wear masks while getting photographs with Santa this Christmas.
They will be required to wear masks before and after, but will not have to wear the masks while the photographs are being taken.
An ambulance is cleaned at Royal Melbourne Hospital in Melbourne, as the state struggles with high cases of Covid-19. Photo: AFP
Rest of Australia
Victoria officials reported 1240 new Covid-19 cases and four deaths. There are now 13,093 active cases of the virus in Victoria, and 635 people have died during the current outbreak.
There are 392 people in hospital there, including 81 in intensive care and 41 on a ventilator.
The state has reached 92 percent for second dose vaccinations of people 12 years and older.
ACT has reported 18 new cases today, with 103 active cases in the state, and three people currently in hospital.
Tasmania has recorded three new cases, taking the number of positive cases there to seven since the border re-opened to interstate hotspots on Wednesday.
The state's premier Peter Gutwein said from Monday masks would be compulsory in all inside settings, including workplaces, retail and gyms.
Western Australian premier Mark McGowan has announced a date for the state to reopen its borders: a date which is also expected to mark the end of Covid-19-free life for the state.
Unless an "unforeseen emergency or catastrophe" occurs, McGowan said the countdown was on to 5 February. That date would see an end to the opening and closing of Western Australia's borders and the confusion and uncertainty around who was allowed into the state.
Vaccine is an 'act of love'
The Catholic archbishop of Perth said Christians should get vaccinated against Covid-19, as an "act of love".
Timothy Costelloe was repeating the words of Pope Francis, at the opening of a pop-up vaccination clinic at St Mary's Cathedral in Perth's central business district.
"Now individual people might have difficulties with that position, but it is the formal position of the church, it's based on the teachings of Pope Francis and on the teachings of the church," he said.
- ABC