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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Michael McGowan (now) and Cait Kelly and Tory Shepherd (earlier)

Chant says NSW ‘well placed’ as hospitalisations rise to 1,204 – as it happened

Queue for Sydney drive-through Covid clinic
Members of the public queue in their cars for Covid PCR tests at the Mascot Laverty Pathology drive-through clinic in Sydney. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

What we learned, Monday 3 January

That’s where I will leave you for tonight.

Here’s what we learned today:

Updated

Severe thunderstorms hit ACT

The Bureau of Meteorology is warning that at 5.20pm severe thunderstorms were detected on the weather radar near Belconnen, Canberra Civic, Hall, Gungahlin and South Canberra.

The bureau says the thunderstorms are moving towards the north.

“Large, possibly giant hailstones, heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding and damaging winds are likely,” it said in its latest update.

Updated

Looks like quite the storm has hit the nation’s capital.

Hospitals in NSW are much closer to capacity due to surging Covid cases than is being admitted by officials, doctors and nurses are warning, with one saying the system has “never been this bad”.

Peter Hannam reports:

Private pathology provider closes 19 NSW Covid testing clinics

A private pathology company has indefinitely closed 19 of the 20 Covid-19 testing clinics that it runs in New South Wales following a “a well-documented surge in demand” for the tests.

In a notice on its website pathology provider Australian Clinical Labs said that all but one of the drive-through and walk-in clinics it operates across western Sydney would close “effective immediately until further notice”.

In a statement, the company said the pathology staff had been “working around the clock”.

“Clinical Labs and the entire pathology sector have dealt with testing surges during the pandemic and we are focused on ensuring we deliver surge capacity for testing and laboratory processing,” a spokesperson said.

“Pathology staff are working around the clock. This is an unprecedented situation and we and the rest of the sector are doing everything we can to meet demand and the needs of the community. Staff across the sector are working 24/7.”

Something about the sticky floors of the dingy nightclub Gemma Moore was at on the New South Wales central coast gave her the sense she was about to get sick.

“It was a good night, but I just really didn’t feel comfortable being out,” Moore said. “There weren’t any QR codes and the staff weren’t wearing masks. And I remember thinking: someone in here has Covid.”

A few days later, the 28-year-old care worker’s hunch proved correct when she, her boyfriend and her housemate all showed symptoms and tested positive to Covid.

NT records 58 new Covid-19 cases

The Northern Territory has recorded 58 new Covid cases.

The territory’s health department says there are also 21 people hospitalised with Covid-19 in the NT, none of whom are in ICU.

The territory has updated its Covid reporting times to a “24-hour reporting period”, with a cut-off of 8pm the night before. Previously it reported up to 8am that morning.

It effectively means today’s count is only over a 12-hour period, which might explain why the numbers are down from yesterday’s count of 95 cases.

Updated

Sanderson says the low case numbers mean that from 6am tomorrow public health restrictions around seated consumption and dancing will be lifted. However the indoor mask requirements will remain in place until 6pm on Friday.

She also says proof-of-vaccination requirements will be extended to include places such as nightclubs and large music venues.

Western Australia records two new cases of Covid-19, upgrades travel risk for ACT and Tasmania

Good afternoon. Western Australian health minister Amber-Jade Sanderson is speaking now.

The state has recorded two new Covid-19 cases, a 20-year-old male, who, she says, is a backpacker and is unvaccinated. The other is a 24-year-old woman who lives in the same household. She was vaccinated.

Sanderson also says the state has upgraded its Covid-19 border designations for the ACT and Tasmania to high risk.

Updated

With that, I am going to hand you over to Michael McGowan who will take you through the afternoon!

Updated

Teenage Australian rookie Josh Giddey has made history as the youngest player to notch a triple-double in the NBA.

Giddey starred with 17 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds for the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 95-86 home loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

At just 19 years old and 84 days, he overtakes fellow NBL alumni LaMelo Ball who set the previous record at 19 years old and 140 days in January last year.

While we wait, here is Adam Hills on RATs.

Updated

WA Health minister Amber-Jade Sanderson is set to hold a press conference within minutes.

Updated

This is a helpful graphic put together by the Vic govt (but obviously applies to everyone) about when you can get your booster.

Staff shortages due to Covid and a “high number of people” with mild symptoms presenting to hospital and requesting a test are putting “excessive pressure” on three Melbourne hospitals, according to its administrators.

In a statement that follows a social media post issued earlier on Monday, Suellen Bruce, an executive director at Western Health, called on the community to “avoid presenting to its emergency departments, unless it is absolutely necessary”.

As previously reported here, emergency departments facing “extremely high levels of demand and a range of additional pressures” included Sunshine, Footscray and Williamstown Hospital.

Bruce said:

A range of factors have led to the excessive pressure: significant staff shortages due to Covid; a high number of people with mild Covid symptoms presenting seeking a Covid test; the typical high demand during a public holiday period; and limited available beds within our hospitals (in part due to furloughing of staff).

If we could ask the community to please not visit our emergency departments with mild Covid symptoms seeking a PCR or rapid test. Instead please visit one of the many testing sites across Melbourne.

General view of signage outside of the Western Health Footscray Hospital in Melbourne.

Updated

More on the Covid situation in Tasmania from AAP:

Passengers on a cruise ship in Hobart are being held onboard and tested for COVID-19 after two confirmed cases.

Public health officials are also concerned about a rising number of infections associated with a music festival at Launceston with 25 linked to the event so far.

Tasmania’s Premier Peter Gutwein said the two people who tested positive on the Coral Discoverer have been removed from the vessel.

About 60 crew and 30 staff remain on board and are being tested for the virus with contact tracing to continue over the next two days.

The ship’s operators have activated their COVID response plan, to manage the outbreak and ensure no broader risk to the wider community.

The premier said the people who attended Launceston’s Party In the Apocalypse at Inveresk Park on December 27 and 28 were also being asked to carefully monitor for symptoms with two dozen infections now linked to the event which attracted about 10,000 fans.

“I want to be really clear (that) this does not mean that everybody who attended Party in the Apocalypse needs to turn up at a testing clinic or take a rapid antigen test,” he said on Monday.

“But if you were at that event, you need to use your commonsense and monitor for symptoms and if symptomatic please call the public health hotline and go and get a PCR test.”

Updated

Obtaining rapid antigen tests over the next two weeks is likely to remain “bumpy” across Australia as supply chain issues cause shortages and price spikes.

The distribution of tests is “still being worked out with the government”, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia has said.

The guild’s national president, Trent Twomey, said price rises were “coming from distributors and manufacturers who are paying extra to get stock to Australia, even chartering jets to get supplies here. Those costs are being passed on.”

Updated

SA Labor party leader, Peter Malinauskas, has tested positive for Covid.

Posting a statement on Twitter, Malinauskas said he had cold-like symptoms and his family had so far tested negative.

Updated

Beaches close in QLD and NSW due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth

Beaches are closed from QLD to NSW as ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth creates heavy surf and dangerous winds on parts of the east coast.

Rudd not mincing words here ...

We are still waiting on the numbers from the NT and WA – but so far today’s case count sits at 37,152.

The breakdown so far:

  • NSW records 20,794 new Covid cases.
  • Victoria records 8,577 new Covid cases and three deaths.
  • Tasmania records 466 new Covid-19 cases.
  • ACT records 514 new cases.
  • Queensland records 4,249 new Covid cases.
  • SA records 2,552 new cases.
  • NT: Still to come.
  • WA: Still to come.

We’ll have the last two jurisdictions for you as soon as they are out.

Updated

Hello everyone – this is Cait Kelly back from lunch.

Sandro Demaio is the CEO of VicHealth, he posted this about free RATs (or the lack of) on Twitter earlier:

Updated

Here are some more details on the situation in Queensland, thanks to Ben Smee. Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said:

I think we just have to assume that all of us are going to be exposed in the next few weeks.

The next few weeks ... that’s a fairly short timeframe ...

Updated

Thanks, Cait – Tory here, coming to you from SA where 15 minutes face-to-face is still considered a close contact.

It was interesting to hear premier Steven Marshall say that it’s because we don’t have the workforce issues of other states (I’m not sure everyone would agree with that).

And that’s it from SA. I am going to hand you over to Tory Shepherd while I grab some lunch!

Updated

Marshall says there is no evidence of price gouging for RATs in SA.

We just got to be careful that we’re not scaring people.

There is a shortage of RATs around Australia. There may be an example where somebody has tried to sell it over the internet, but hopefully what we’re going to see in the coming days is those stocks coming into SA.

Updated

Marshall says the vaccines won’t stop you from getting Covid but will save your life.

The early information is that the current vaccination status isn’t as effective at stopping the transmission, but it is far more effective at reducing the severity of the symptoms.

The strong message is, go and get yourself vaccinated if you are eligible for your booster.

A woman receives her Covid vaccination.
A woman receives her Covid vaccination. Photograph: Con Chronis/AAP

Updated

Marshall is asked about the number of cases in prisons.

He says the 90 cases are stable.

Updated

Marshall says they will see forecasting before the end of the week in regards to the peak.

He says it will likely be in January.

I believe it will certainly be before the end of January ... the reality is nobody has a crystal ball with regards to Omicron, the world only found out about it almost on 24 November. So really only about five weeks ago.

He is asked if that peak will be in the thousands:

What we don’t really have a clear picture of, is what the likely effects of Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve are going to be in South Australia.”

Updated

Marshall is asked about the impact on business and says SA has enjoyed the “lowest level of lockdown” in the country.

We have had good trading conditions compared to just about every other sector in the country or the world over the last 12 months, and I expect we’ll get back to that as quickly as possible, but we’ve got to do it safely.

Updated

Marshall says the hospital system is working well, and the state is working within its capabilities.

We’re still, even with Omicron, well within the bounds of that flexed up capacity that we’ve got.

Both in terms of beds, and in terms of ICU and in terms of ventilators.

And now the decision that’s been made with regards to elective surgery that gives us another massive flex up in the number of new beds that we’ve got in our state.

Updated

Marshall is asked if the new definition will impact people going out.

I don’t think so. I think people have been pretty cautious in South Australia since Omicron has arrived.

We’re just asking people to be careful and cautious.

Updated

SA Covid peak still 'some weeks away', says premier

Marshall says the peak is “some weeks away”.

He says elective surgeries will be banned from midnight unless they are urgent category 1 and category 2.

He says hundred and thousands of shots will have to be handed out in SA in the coming weeks to help limit the spread.

Updated

Marshall is asked why SA is the only jurisdiction in Aus to put in the 15-minute timeframe.

As I was saying before, other states might have a greater pressure with regards to the workforce than we have in South Australia.

I know that there are some fairly big skill shortages in health systems right across the country.

We’re not immune from that here in South Australia.

Rundle Mall in Adelaide, Australia.
Rundle Mall in Adelaide, Australia. Photograph: Roy VanDerVegt/Getty Images

Updated

Marshall says the new definition of close contact covers people who have been face to face without a mask for 15 minutes.

That’s when we know that you’ve got a very high likelihood of transmission.

Updated

Marshall says SA has the highest rate of testing per capita.

And I think probably still enjoys the shortest turnaround time.

Updated

Marshall says exposure sites will be listed only when there is a high viral load or several cases.

We’ll do that assessment, what we’ve demonstrated over the last few weeks is we can narrow, and narrow again ... those people we want to put in isolation.

He says there is plenty of spare capacity in PCR clinics that people can get their results quickly. That timeframe has fallen by 12 hours in the last week.

Updated

Marshall is asked why SA is not following the national cabinet agreed definition of close contact.

I think every state has got to adopt an approach which is going to work in their setting.

Updated

Marshall is asked what if you are dining at a restaurant and the case is one or two tables away.

It really is when you’re dining with somebody or you’re face to face contact in a very close proximity.

The definition again:

So if you’ve been indoors with somebody has been Covid positive for more than 15 minutes without a mask on.

Premier of South Australia Steven Marshall.
Premier of South Australia Steven Marshall. Photograph: Morgan Sette/AAP

Updated

Marshall says from today casual contacts in SA are no longer required to isolate.

He said they had been asked a lot about who is a close contact.

If you are face to face without a mask indoors, then you will be the designated close contact if you have been there for more than 15 minutes.

Updated

Marshall says vaccinations were low yesterday.

We really want to see that climb.

He says he will announce the surge in capacity for jabs in the coming days.

Updated

Marshall says 90 people in prison are now Covid positive. He says all of them are in a stable condition.

The numbers unfortunately, are escalating. It’s something we’re keeping a very, very close handle on.

Updated

SA records 2,552 new cases

SA’s premier Steven Marshall is speaking now. He says 94 people are in hospital and nine are in ICU but none on a ventilator.

Updated

Chant says NSW 'well placed' as cases continue to surge

NSW has reported 20,794 new Covid-19 cases and four more deaths, as authorities asked residents to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on the stressed health system.

With 1,204 people hospitalised with the virus on Monday – up from 1,066 the day before – and more than 2,500 health workers furloughed, the health system is under strain.

St Vincent’s hospital at Darlinghurst in Sydney.
St Vincent’s hospital at Darlinghurst in Sydney. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Chief health officer Kerry Chant:

We are seeing health systems around the world put under stress and whilst we are very well placed ... it is important that we all play our part in not placing unnecessary burden on the health system.

People should avoid going to the emergency department to seek PCR tests for Covid-19 if they’re not unwell, Dr Chant said.

That potentially compromises the care of those that need it.

I know that people want to know what their diagnosis is ... but can you also just think about some of the implications of those actions.

Dr Chant reassured NSW residents that the health system is available for those who need it, urging people with health concerns not to delay seeking treatment.

As of 30 December 2,510 healthcare workers were in isolation after being exposed to Covid.

Updated

Cricket Australia CEO tests positive for Covid

Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley has tested positive to Covid-19.

CA announced on Monday morning Hockley had returned the positive test after developing mild symptoms, and assured he has had no contact with the Australian men’s team, who are due to play the Sydney Ashes Test from Wednesday.

“After experiencing mild symptoms, I immediately got a PCR test which has since returned a positive result,” Hockley said in a statement. “I am isolating at home with my family, who have returned negative results.”

Nick Hockley, CEO of Cricket Australia.
Nick Hockley, CEO of Cricket Australia. Photograph: Mark Evans/Getty Images

Updated

And that’s it for Victoria. SA’s premier Steven Marshall is expected to speak soon.

Updated

Weimar is asked to clarify that if a household contact tests positive, then after a few days their housemate/family member tests positive if the original case has to continue isolating for another seven days.

We are not seeing any evidence yet of people getting reinfected if they have previously been positive.

If you’re living with another household member who turns positive later, if you have finished all those isolation, if you’ve been cleared, you can go around your business as normal.

Updated

Jeroen Weimar says if you are waiting more than four to five days for your test to check in with the hotline.

He says if you know you’ve been with a positive case get a RAT if you can and monitor your symptoms.

Updated

Foley says “we are still learning about the Omicron variant”.

It doesn’t need much to get into vulnerable populations to people with underlining conditions, our elderly community, our immunosuppressed community and it’s in those communities that even a less virulent strain can have severe health outcomes.

We want to really act quickly to get in front of that.

The way to do that is boosters and vaccines for kids, he said.

Medical staff at the Royal Melbourne hospital in Melbourne.
Medical staff at the Royal Melbourne hospital in Melbourne. Photograph: William West/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

Foley has just been asked about the tweet from Western Health asking people not to rock up to ED if they don’t have to.

Yes, I continue to be very concerned that all of our emergency departments are facing unprecedented demand that grows every day.

He says the more people that test positive to Omicron, the greater the pressure grows and more hospitals in other areas of the city are also putting in the same procedures.

Here it is again for those who didn’t see it on the blog earlier:

Updated

Back to Victoria quickly where Foley has labelled Omicron “a substantial challenge” for the healthcare system.

He says hospitals are preparing for more cases in the coming months.

We are already seeing in the space of three days, more people being infected than over the course of the entire first year of the pandemic.

Updated

Vic man arrested for Old Parliament House fire

Foley says case numbers will continue to increase “exponentially”.

You’ll recall the December meeting of national cabinet received advice from the Doherty Institute, which essentially pointed to precisely what’s happening.

If anything, about the Institute’s modelling, it might indeed be conservative in terms of the infectivity rates that we’re starting to see with Omicron.

Updated

Foley says the states support free RATs.

The states clearly have a view that freely available rapid antigen testing as part of an ongoing response to Omicron forms part of the national response.

In lieu of that national response, the states have to fill the void.

Updated

Weimer says if you are symptomatic you should have a PCR or RAT test as soon as possible, but act as if you are already positive.

With the high case numbers in our community, we have to assume if we’re symptomatic, that we’re probably Covid-positive.

He says there are currently 1,700 healthcare workers currently impacted by being a close contact or workplace contact.

Updated

'Tenfold increase' in Victoria's Covid positivity rate, says Jeroen Weimar

Victoria’s Covid commander Jeroen Weimar says half of the PCR tests are coming back after two days because of the high rates of positive tests.

The rate of positive cases of all the ones we’re testing ... we’ve never seen before. We’re now seeing one in five cases who are being tested in a PCR system is now positive. That’s a tenfold increase.

Normally ... it’s around a 2% positivity rate.

A health worker at a Covid testing site in Melbourne.
A health worker at a Covid testing site in Melbourne. Photograph: Con Chronis/AAP

Updated

Emergency departments in the west of Melbourne are asking people to not come in unless they really need to.

Updated

Foley says the government is scaling up its state-run vaccination clinics to help with booster shots for children.

We will be ensuring that up to 300,000 Victorians can get vaccinated every week, through our ramped up state-run clinics, and we look forward to meeting that number.

A further 28 pop-up clinics will be put up from 5 January across the state.

Updated

Foley says if you have had your second dose in September or earlier, you are eligible for your third dose as of tomorrow.

One million more Victorians are now eligible.

Vaccination is the best protection that you can have against the Omicron variant.

Updated

Foley:

As we head into 2022, it is more important than ever that if you are eligible for that third dose to come forward and get it.

Kids five to 11 will also become eligible from 10 January.

Updated

Victoria’s health minister Martin Foley is speaking now.

First up, on vaccinations, 10.9% of Victorians, 12 and above have now had their third dose.

Therefore there is still a very large number of people who need to come forward for their third dose.

He says over 93% of Victorians have now had two doses.

491 people are currently in hospital and of those, 104 are in ICU and 24 are on a ventilator.

Updated

We are now waiting on Victoria’s health minister Martin Foley and Covid commander Jeroen Weimar to give a press conference in Melbourne.

Updated

Cases in Queensland are expected to peak late January, early February.

Updated

Queensland chief health officer John Gerrard is speaking now.

He says one patient in ICU is ventilated.

Gerrard says “we know there has been a strain on the testing”.

There has been significant demand on the Gold Coast and we are increasing our capacity in the next day or so.

Health staff at a Covid testing facility in Brisbane.
Health staff at a Covid testing facility in Brisbane. Photograph: Danny Casey/AAP

Updated

Palaszczuk says there are 10 people in ICU and the state has recorded one death, a man in his late 30s.

This goes to show that this pandemic can have very serious consequences for anyone.

She says there were 30,800 tests in the last 24 hours.

Updated

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is addressing media now.

This is a highly infectious strain. And I will ask Queenslanders to think where they’ll be going this month, especially if they haven’t had their booster.

Updated

Queensland records 4,249 new Covid cases

Updated

At close to 11pm last night, SA Health tweeted out a new list of exposure sites. Check them in the link below:

Updated

Here is the press release about Labor’s plan to build a fleet of nationally owned ships.

ACT records 514 new cases

There are 11 people in hospital and of those two are in ICU.

Albanese says the government has no plan for addressing climate change.

The fact is that he has had presided over a period whereby they’re just treading water. There’s no plan for the future.

Labor is putting forward a comprehensive suite of policies to increase living standards, to increase wages, to support permanent jobs, to make sure that we ... deal with the challenge of climate change.

Updated

Albanese is attacking the government on the vaccine rollout.

Why is it that the government says they want a four-month gap at the moment in between your second shot and your booster but that reduces to three months at the end of the month?

The reason why they’re doing that is because they don’t have the capacity to move to three months right now.

They haven’t planned in terms of the supply of the booster shots.

Cohealth pop-up vaccination clinic in Melbourne.
Cohealth pop-up vaccination clinic in Melbourne. Photograph: Con Chronis/AAP

Updated

Albanese is now attacking the government on the latest job figures:

One of the things we see with the jobs figures is the fact that two million Australians are either unemployed or want more hours.

They want full-time, permanent jobs. And one of the things we’re seeing in Australia, with the insecure work is more casual jobs, less permanent jobs, and therefore less security for people.

Updated

Albanese is asked if RATs should be free:

No one should be excluded from getting a rapid test because of the income.

In Newcastle and indeed the Central Coast it has been impossible for people to get tested.

Now they’re being told, go get a rapid antigen test, but there aren’t enough rapid antigen tests available for sale.

And for those people who could find one, of course, we have some price gouging going on and ... becoming simply unaffordable for many people.

Members of the public queue for PCR tests at the Mascot Laverty Pathology drive-through clinic in Sydney, Monday, 3 January 2022.
Members of the public queue for PCR tests at the Mascot Laverty Pathology drive-through clinic in Sydney, Monday, 3 January 2022. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Updated

Anthony Albanese is speaking in Newcastle now talking about his plan to build an Australian shipping fleet.

We know that exploitation in the international shipping industry through flags of convenience is a major issue. We want to make sure that we have good jobs, good pay jobs for Australians with Australian businesses being backed.

When you have an asset like the Newcastle port that isn’t being utilised fully for the economic benefit common sense has to kick in here.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese speaks to media at the Port of Newcastle on Monday, 3 January 2022.
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese speaks to media at the Port of Newcastle on Monday, 3 January 2022. Photograph: Darren Pateman/AAP

Updated

A former Australian under-19s cricketer who alleges he was sexually assaulted on a representative tour in the 1980s has revealed the “trauma and distress” he has felt for decades.

Jamie Mitchell went public with the allegations in an ABC report on Sunday, stating he believed he had been raped by a team official on a tour of India and Sri Lanka when he was 18.

From Australia Associated Press:

Lots of chatter this morning on Twitter about the PM’s response to questions over why RATs are not being provided by the government. He said “you can’t make everything free”.

This is from senator Rex Patrick:

And this from secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions Sally McManus:

Updated

Some of the stats on the climate in Australia in 2021 are now available from the Bureau of Meteorology (although the full briefing is a few days away).

Rainfall, as you might expect for a second year affected by a La Nina event in the Pacific was above average for the country. Note, though, it was not that much above the long-run norm at a national level.

On the warmth side, Australian mean temperatures were also above the 1961-90 average, with rainfall a factor.

Those charts complement this review on a year of storms, I wrote last week:

As for the start of 2022, expect a bit of rain across much of coastal eastern Australia, particularly if you’re in the crosshairs of ex-tropical cyclone Seth as it arcs back towards southern Queensland and northern NSW.

Note too, that hazardous surf warnings are out for the Sydney coast region for dangerous conditions from Monday afternoon into Tuesday and longer.

I know this tweet from GA’s Paul Karp is a few days old, but all this chatter about if RATs should be free this morning has made me think about the same point.

Updated

Tasmania records 466 new Covid-19 cases

Tasmania has reported 466 new Covid-19 cases, marking another record day for fresh infections. AAP reports:

The state’s health department confirmed the new infections on Monday, as active infections rose to 1,691 cases.

Tasmania’s previous daily case high of 428 was reported on Saturday.

Fifty-six cases are being cared for at community case management facilities and 278 are being managed at home.

Covid-positive hospital cases have dropped from three to two. None are in intensive care.

Some 120 people were released from isolation on Saturday after recovering from Covid-19.

Health minister Jeremy Rockliff said a three-year-old child had tested positive for Covid-19 in the state’s south, after presenting to Royal Hobart hospital’s emergency department.

While no doubt distressing for the family, the child was treated by an emergency department medical specialist and was deemed safe for discharge.

Rapid antigen tests remain available to asymptomatic close contacts or anyone directed to take a test by the health department, he added.

Updated

Hunt finishes off by saying the supply is strong, as is Australia’s position.

There are more vaccines, more boosters, more rapid antigen tests and more treatments.

And the fact that we now have a disease which right around the world is leading to more cases, but too vastly fewer severe cases by comparison with what we had seen previously on a per capita basis, of those infected, is an immensely heartening development.

There are challenges in every phase of this pandemic. But Australia has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world and one of the lowest rates of death and loss of life in the world.

Updated

Mirroring the PM this morning, Hunt says: “You can’t have an infinite supply of free goods.”

If there were an unconstrained flow of completely unpriced products – so if there was an infinite supply to an infinite number of people, then, of course, that demand couldn’t be met.

The common sense of providing an infinite supply of free goods somehow has been lost in this discussion.

Updated

Hunt says Omicron “has changed the balance” and that the decision by states to put PCR tests on travellers put a strain on the system.

We have less severe cases, but we have more transmissible cases. We actually as a federal government, we’re in the market in orders.

We’ve provided continuous supply for aged care throughout that which has been our part in it. We know that many of the states were offered and they’ve only recently just prior to Christmas or since then, have decided to take up the offers that have been made by suppliers, but we welcome that.

But also the decision to impose PCR tests on state travellers put enormous stress on that system. And I’m very pleased that Queensland had dropped the requirement of PCR test and that means that there are people for non-health reasons that are requiring rapid antigen tests to travel interstate but there is actually a very significant flow into the country.

Pre-departure Covid testing clinic at Sydney international airport.
Pre-departure Covid testing clinic at Sydney international airport. Photograph: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

Just want to point out it wasn’t only Queensland that had PCR requirements.

Updated

Hunt says there is “a strong supply” of RATs coming into the country.

We’ll have over 100m rapid antigen tests, more than double available over the course of the next two months.

So I just wanted to put all of that into perspective.

Updated

Hunt is asked when we will see details on the distribution of RATs into vulnerable communities.

That’s being discussed at the national cabinet this week. I’m working today ... the prime minister is engaging in it. And so we’re actually ahead of schedule as to where we expected to be.

At four million RATs contracted, that will increase to over 100m shortly. And there’s a significant private market inflow.

Updated

Hunt is asked if the GST should be dropped on RATs – he says it’s a matter for the states.

That’s entirely a matter for the states. The prime minister, myself, the treasurer have discussed that money doesn’t go to the commonwealth, that goes to the states.

It took a long while for us, the prime minister and the treasurer, and myself in our different roles at the time to work on [getting the] GST removed on sanitary products.

It took a lot of convincing for some of the states and we’re very happy to do that here, but it would require the states to sign off on it because they forego that revenue and so under the rules of the national agreement, they would need to sign off on that. There are no barriers at the commonwealth level.

Updated

Hunt says more RATs on the way

Hunt is asked about RATs and if he is concerned people are spreading Covid because they can’t find tests.

So far we’ve had just over 55m PCR tests. There are well over 84m tests that the states have ordered. The commonwealth is also in the process of securing over $370m worth of tests and we’ve already procured 10m tests.

The second is the state system is providing the rapid antigen tests and we’ve covered 100% of the vaccine costs and 50% of those tests costs for about $2.5bn.

And then thirdly, there is the over the counter purchasing which will be supplemented by the support for concessional cardholders which the prime minister was addressing so very considerable supplies.

Obviously there’s high global demand, but just quietly, the Australian government has gone into the market and secured that support for those with health conditions and those that are concessional card holders.

Customers depart a chemist in Brisbane.
Customers depart a chemist in Brisbane. Photograph: Danny Casey/AAP

Updated

Hunt says Omicron is more transmissible but less severe.

What that means is that the risk is not of hospital beds or places being overwhelmed, particularly ICU, particularly more so ventilation, but always in terms of balancing the workforce.

So national cabinet this week, will continue to focus on the workforce measures. And as we look around the world, we’re seeing similar discussions and similar changes.

Updated

Hunt says 91.5% of Australians have had their second dose.

Over 2.5m boosters already delivered and that is set to increase significantly as the state clinics joined pharmacies and the GPs in this rollout programme.

Updated

Hunt says as of tomorrow an additional 3.75 million people will be eligible for boosters.

There is enough vaccine for every Australian to have their booster already in the country and all orders are being met.

We’re on track with TGA approval supply and the distribution process is already beginning for children’s vaccines to commence on 10 January a week from today.

And so, again, not all of these will occur on the one day, but we want to make sure that every parent books a child in between five years and after 12 years of age, it can help protect them ... and above all else it protects the older members of the family.

People at a pop-up vaccination clinic in Melbourne.
People at a pop-up vaccination clinic in Melbourne. Photograph: Con Chronis/AAP

Updated

Greg Hunt is speaking now.

He says we are seeing “significantly less” people on ventilation.

This is actually down 54 patients, nationwide, on the 15 December.

So almost three weeks later, there’s been a reduction of patients on ventilation.

Updated

Stephen John Duckett is a health economist at the Grattan Institute. He posted this on Twitter earlier:

Job ads at a 13-year high

From AAP:

New figures released by the tax office showed 485,000 jobs were created across the nation since September.

Josh Frydenberg said the county had experienced a jobs boom in recent months.

“Small businesses across the country who did it so tough early on (in the pandemic) ... are now coming [back] better,” Frydenberg told Sky News on Monday.

“We’re starting to see these jobs coming back and it’s looking very promising for the Australian economy.”

The Australian Taxation Office data on Monday comes after the unemployment rate recently fell to 4.6%, which was a 13-year low.

Job advertisements are also at a 13-year high, with more than 250,000 jobs available.

The ATO data takes in the period following the lifting of Delta variant driven lockdowns in NSW, Victoria and the ACT.

Covid-19 restrictions across the country eased after the lockdowns ended, but infection case numbers have surged in recent weeks due to the spread of the Omicron variant.

Updated

Bonning says asked what the increase in Covid cases will mean for healthcare workers:

What we know from data is that there are no such things as quiet times and peak times in the healthcare system anymore, it’s pretty much running at capacity the whole time.

Updated

Michael Bonning, chair of the AMA NSW Council, is speaking to the ABC now.

He said the vaccines were keeping people out of hospital.

But certainly the higher case rates across the state and across the country do mean we should expect to see increasing rates in hospital.

Now, whether that will extend to ICU is a story where, you know, we’re still working to understand.

Our understanding of the new variant and whether it is milder, we’re developing evidence on that at the moment.

Updated

First, it was toilet paper, then it was vaccines, now it’s all about no RATs.

Updated

As Peter points out here, NSW’s ICU numbers are up by 14.4%.

This will add to concerns the health system is under pressure from rising hospitalisations and isolating staff.

Earlier, Australian Medical Association vice president Dr Chris Moy told the AAP the system was “struggling”.

“People look at the numbers and see the 1,066 in hospitals but the health system doesn’t just look after Covid and people are having critical surgery delayed,” he said.

Updated

Victoria records 8,577 new Covid cases and three deaths

Victoria has recorded more case numbers but less testing, with less than 44,000 PCR tests conducted in the last 24 hours.

Hospitalisations have also slightly risen to 491 people in hospital.

Updated

NSW records 20,794 new Covid cases

NSW now has 1,204 people in hospital, a jump from 1,066 yesterday.

In ICU 95 people are currently being treated, up from 83 yesterday.

Updated

Here is the video of the PM on Sunrise.

He says we need to “stop thinking about case numbers, and thinking about serious illness, living with the virus, managing our own health and ensuring we are monitoring those systems and keep our economy going.”

Hospitals equipped for Omicron surge, PM claims despite clear evidence to the contrary

From AAP:

Prime minister Scott Morrison has stressed Australia’s health systems are more than equipped to handle a rising number of Omicron infections.

Morrison has urged people not to solely focus on case numbers, despite infections exploding in states and territories in recent days.

However, he said levels of Covid-19 patients being treated in intensive care and on ventilators remained stable following the rise in cases.

“It’s important that with the rising case numbers, we see that the severeness of this illness is already being shown to be around 75% less than what we saw with Delta,” Morrison told the Seven Network on Monday.

“Rising case numbers is part of the Omicron period, it’s part of the new phase of the pandemic we’re in.”

More than 32,000 Covid-19 cases were reported nationwide in the 24 hours to Saturday evening, most of them in NSW.

The prime minister said talks were under way with state and territory leaders to ensure health systems were able to meet a potential surge.

While Morrison was heading to Canberra on Monday for discussions on concession arrangements for rapid-antigen tests, he ruled out making it free for everyone.

“We’re now in a stage of the pandemic where you can’t just make everything free,” he said.

Scott Morrison: ‘We’re now in a stage of the pandemic where you can’t just make everything free.’
Scott Morrison: ‘We’re now in a stage of the pandemic where you can’t just make everything free.’ Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Updated

Covid sweeps through workers at Antarctic research station

Researchers in Antarctica are dealing with an outbreak of coronavirus despite being based in one of the world’s most remote regions.

Since 16 December at least 16 of the 25 polar researchers based at Belgium’s Princess Elisabeth Polar Station are now infected with the virus.

Cases remain mild so far.

“The situation isn’t dramatic,” Joseph Cheek, a project manager for the International Polar Foundation, told the BBC.

“While it has been an inconvenience to have to quarantine certain members of the staff who caught the virus, it hasn’t significantly affected our work.’’

All staff were offered to leave on a flight out on 12 January but so far, they all say they will stay.

All 25 researchers are fully vaccinated and one has had a booster shot.

Before arriving at the station the team went through strict quarantine and testing process – they had a PCR test in Belgium before flying to South Africa.

They then all quarantined for 10 days in Cape Town, taking another test during that time.

They all then took a third test before leaving for Antarctica and another five days after they arrived.

One of the team members tested positive seven days after arriving and despite isolating, the virus has spread across the centre.

The Princess Elisabeth Polar Station in Antarctica, which is experiencing a major Covid outbreak.
The Princess Elisabeth Polar Station in Antarctica, which is experiencing a major Covid outbreak. Photograph: R Robert/AP

Updated

Government works to prevent future viruses

From AAP:

There are an estimated 1.7m undiscovered viruses in mammals and birds, any one of which could become a new pandemic.

To combat and manage emerging zoonotic diseases, the federal government will put an additional $8.4m into Australia’s wildlife health and early detection research over the next four years.

The agriculture minister, David Littleproud, said the funding would put Australia at the forefront of a global initiative aimed at preventing future diseases.

“Covid-19 has brought into sharp focus the importance of recognising and managing emerging zoonotic disease risks which can originate from wildlife,” Littleproud said.

“Nearly all major exotic livestock diseases of potential concern to Australia, including African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease, will have wildlife and/or feral animals as part of their cause or spread.”

The environment minister, Susan Ley, said a healthy environment was a precursor to human and animal health.

“This funding will prioritise the investigation of significant wildlife disease events to identify the underlying causes and determine their relevance to human, animal(s), and environmental health,” she said.

The federal government is funding an extra $8.4m to combat and manage zoonotic diseases.
The federal government is funding an extra $8.4m to combat and manage zoonotic diseases. Photograph: Yonhap/AAP

Updated

Anthony Albanese was on RN earlier. This is what he had to say about RATs:

While we are on the topic of NSW hospitals, here is a little bit more from AAP this morning:

As of Sunday, 1,066 people were in hospital with the coronavirus including 83 in intensive care, 24 of whom require ventilation.

Not all of the 1,066 people in hospital with coronavirus were admitted for treatment for Covid-19, new research has revealed.

Some patients in hospital with Covid-19 were admitted for unrelated illness or injury, a small sampling of patients in two local health districts taken by NSW Health over the past two weeks shows.

Among the people being counted as Covid-19 hospitalisations are women in labour, people seeking mental health support and care, and people with appendicitis or bowel obstruction, NSW Health said in a statement.

The agency did not respond to questions about whether a similar proportion of hospitalisations during the Delta wave were primarily for other reasons.

“It is to be expected that as Covid-19 cases in the community increase some patients will present with conditions other than Covid-19 as their primary reasons for seeking healthcare,” a NSW Health spokesperson said in a statement.

A health worker walks through the ambulance entrance of St Vincent’s hospital in Sydney.
A health worker walks through the ambulance entrance of St Vincent’s hospital in Sydney. Photograph: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

Updated

The Australian Salaried Medical Officers’ Federation of New South Wales and the Health Services Union have both joined the AMA in expressing their concern this morning about the rising number of Covid patients in hospital and the pressure on the system.

The number of people in hospital in the state with Covid has topped 1,000.

Those peak bodies have predicted that the healthcare system will reach a critical phase within the next two months.

NSW Health announced in recent days that some staff who are asymptomatic and deemed close contacts will be able to get out of isolation and come back to work to take the pressure off the system.

Updated

Frydenberg is asked about the UK, where 25% of the public sector is off sick with Covid, and if we will see the same here.

The isolation requirements for those health workers is actually putting pressure on the system and it is an issue that national cabinet will be dealing with this Wednesday.

The prime minister is talking with not just Greg Hunt and the chief medical officer but myself and others about the processes that – and the changes that potentially could be made to ensure that we have a furlough system which doesn’t leave too much pressure on our health system because those workers are absolutely essential in key settings.

Updated

Frydenberg is asked about job figures.

Australia is experiencing a jobs boom. We have seen nearly half a million new jobs created since September as our two largest states, New South Wales and Victoria, come out of lockdown.

The unemployment rate today is around a 13-year low at 4.6% and job ads are around a 13-year high with more than 250,000 job ads available. A common refrain from businesses around the country is where can they get more workers from?

We are seeing key workforce shortages as the borders have been closed, the international students haven’t been coming in in the numbers that would normally occur and so too with skilled workers.

Updated

Frydenberg is pressed on this: why not make them free for everyone if they are essential?

We can’t make every product for free. What we do is provide it to those most vulnerable in those settings and particularly the aged care system and working through the public health orders to meet the costs with the states on a 50-50 basis.

Significant amounts of rapid antigen tests are making their way to Australia.

There is high global demand, as you would expect, because the Omicron variant is much more transmissible than the Delta variant.

The good news is perhaps that the Omicron variant is going to provide a bridge from the pandemic to the endemic because early medical evidence is in showing that it’s perhaps 75% less severe than the Delta variant.

Customers depart a chemist in Brisbane which has signs indicating it is out of Covid-19 rapid antigen tests.
Customers depart a chemist in Brisbane which has signs indicating it is out of Covid-19 rapid antigen tests. Photograph: Danny Casey/AAP

Updated

Frydenberg grilled over availability of rapid antigen tests

Josh Frydenberg is talking on News Breakfast now. He has just been asked why the federal government won’t make rapid antigen tests free for everyone.

We are making those rapid antigen tests available to people who are in aged care and the vulnerable settings and we are partnering with the states to provide concessional access.

That is work that is being undertaken by the national cabinet based on the medical advice and there is a meeting set down for Wednesday. The states have ordered 84m rapid antigen tests which are on their way. The commonwealth has ordered further rapid antigen tests.

They will be an important defence against the virus but we have also provided 55m PCR tests at a cost to the commonwealth of $2.5bn to date.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Updated

Good morning everyone. This is Cait Kelly and I will be taking you through the news this morning.

Here are the big stories so far:

The NSW health system is facing staff shortages, the peak medical association has warned as Covid-19 hospitalisations passed 1,000.

As of Sunday, 1,066 people were in hospital with the coronavirus including 83 in intensive care, 24 of who require ventilation.

Australian Medical Association vice president Chris Moy said the system was “struggling” with staff shortages as case numbers rise and health workers fall sick, test positive or are identified as close contacts.

“People look at the numbers and see the 1,066 in hospitals but the health system doesn’t just look after Covid and people are having critical surgery delayed,” he told AAP.

At the peak of the Delta outbreak on 21 September, there were 1,266 people hospitalised with Covid infections and 244 in intensive care.

A NSW Health spokesperson said as of 30 December, 2,510 healthcare workers were in isolation after being exposed to Covid-19.

Labor has promised to build an independent fleet to secure Australia’s access to fuel supplies and overseas trading routes.

The opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, says despite shipping accounting for almost all of Australia’s imported and exported goods, only 1% of seaborne trade is carried by Australian ships.

“The Morrison-Joyce government has put our national security and economic sovereignty at risk by standing idle as large multinationals dumped Australian flagged and crewed vessels so they could hire cheaper overseas crews,” he said.

“Our nation [relies] on foreign governments and companies for our essential imports ... including fuel.”

Many people across the country are still waiting days for their PCR tests to come back and Sydney charity Reverend Bill Crews Foundation is asking the NSW government to make the tests free for rough sleepers.

We’ll bring you more on these stories and others as we go through the morning.

With that, let’s get cracking.

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