Get up to speed on all the coronavirus news from across Australia.
Check out our pinned post below for today's COVID figures, including case numbers and hospitalisations.
Key events
- ATAGI recommends mandating booster shot for aged care workers
- WA government expected to put forward motion to suspend unvaccinated MPs
- Want to head to NZ? You'll need to be at least double-vaccinated
- Defence Force called in amid COVID outbreaks in five Tasmanian aged care homes
- Government search includes Novavax to help you find a vaccine clinic
- Camilla tests positive for COVID-19 four days after Prince Charles
- NSW nurses on strike
Live updates
By Jacqueline Howard
Cases, hospitalisations and deaths
For a detailed breakdown of cases across the country, check out Charting the Spread.
This post updates throughout the day as numbers are announced.
NSW: 16 deaths and 8,201 new cases. 1,583 cases are in hospital, 96 of those in ICU
VIC: 20 deaths and 8,162 new cases. 441 cases are in hospital, 67 of those in ICU
TAS: 513 new cases. 10 cases are in hospital, 1 of those in ICU
QLD: 10 deaths and 5,286 new cases. 491 cases are in hospital, 35 of those in ICU
SA: 4 deaths and 1,138 new cases. 219 cases are in hospital, 18 of those in ICU
WA: 48 new cases. no cases are in hospital
ACT: 455 new cases. 49 cases are in hospital, 4 of those in ICU
NT: 1,086 new cases; 156 people in hospital, including one in ICU
By Bridget Judd
And this is where we'll have to leave things for today
But if you can't get enough of COVID, you can stay up to date on the ABC's coronavirus story stream.
You can also sign up to ABC News alerts and notifications and we'll send the big events straight to your phone (more on that here).
Thanks for following along, we'll be back again tomorrow.
By Bridget Judd
The NT has recorded 1,086 new cases of COVID
There are currently 156 patients in hospital, with 22 patients requiring oxygen. There is one patient in ICU.
Of today's new cases, 975 were positive cases from a rapid antigen test.
There were 623 cases recorded in the Top End region, 190 in Central Australia, 72 in East Arnhem, 69 in the Big Rivers region, 48 in the Barkly region and 84 are under investigation.
The number of active cases in the NT is about 7,233.
By Bridget Judd
ATAGI recommends mandating booster shot for aged care workers
All aged care workers could soon be required to have a COVID-19 booster shot to continue working in nursing homes.
The key vaccine advisory group, ATAGI, has made the recommendation to national cabinet on advice that three vaccine doses is now considered "up to date".
ATAGI says mandating a third jab for aged care workers will help reduce transmission of the virus to residents who are most vulnerable to the virus.
By Bridget Judd
South Korea records its highest number of COVID-19 deaths in a month
The 61 deaths reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Tuesday was the highest daily tally since the 74 reported on January 19, when the country was emerging from an outbreak driven by the Delta variant.
While Omicron so far seems less likely to cause serious illness or death, the greater scale of the outbreak is fueling concerns that hospitalisations and fatalities could spike in coming weeks.
The 57,177 new cases reported by the KDCA was another one-day record and more than a 12-fold increase from the levels seen in mid-January, when Omicron became the dominant strain.
AP
By Bridget Judd
'What we are concerned about is the APY Lands because of its remoteness'
Health authorities say they're monitoring outbreaks of COVID-19 in South Australia's remote communities.
The Premier Steven Marshall says there are four active outbreaks in Indigenous communities across the state, but he's most concerned about the APY Lands.
"The numbers are coming down in terms of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from SA who are infected but what we are concerned about is the APY Lands because of its remoteness."
By Bridget Judd
Three of five aged care homes with COVID outbreaks in Tasmania to receive ADF support
The Australian Defence Force will soon be touching down in Tasmania to assist Tasmanian aged care facilities after a number of COVID-19 outbreaks.
There are outbreaks at five aged care facilities across the state, and three of those will be provided with support from the ADF.
Chief executive for Council on the Aging Australia, Ian Yates, said the workforce was stretched even before the pandemic.
"The use of specialised ADF forces that the government worked out with ADF support is in response to the workforce pressures which COVID has created in pretty well every state, although in NSW in particular, it got very extreme."
By Bridget Judd
Bulldogs AFLW captain Ellie Blackburn on playing elite sport after her bout of COVID-19
But Western Bulldogs' AFLW captain, Ellie Blackburn — who caught COVID-19 when it ripped through the club early in the season — was not one of those athletes.
"My head felt like it was going to explode, it was so hot and [I had] the headaches and all that came with it," she says.
"But I didn't necessarily get the other symptoms, like a runny nose or cough or sore throat. Mine were the fatigue and the energy levels completely gone.
"There were days where I tried to get out of bed and then I just couldn't, so I just laid in bed all day."
By Bridget Judd
Where do I find NT daily covid cases
-Liz
We're still waiting on them too, Liz!
Stay tuned.
By Bridget Judd
WA government expected to put forward motion to suspend unvaccinated MPs
The WA government is expected to put forward a motion in Parliament this afternoon to immediately suspend any MPs who are not vaccinated against COVID-19.
The motion is also expected to require members be triple-dosed if eligible.
Legalise Cannabis Party MP Sophia Moermond has refused to reveal her vaccination status, as has Liberal MP Nick Goiran, who says he's confident he hasn't broken any laws.
"I've got absolutely nothing further to say about the matter. People in Western Australia are entitled to medical privacy, whether it's a member of parliament, a journalist or anybody else."
Reporting by James Carmody
By Bridget Judd
Hong Kong to convert public housing towers into isolation facilities
Hong Kong's government is stepping up its COVID measures to deal with a worsening outbreak, saying the response so far has not been satisfactory.
The territory's leader, Carrie Lam, says hospitals have been overwhelmed due to a surge in COVID infections, with 1,500 cases reported yesterday.
She says some public housing towers will be converted into isolation facilities, and authorities may use more hotels to quarantine patients.
Ms Lam says the Chinese government will deliver 100 million testing kits to the global financial hub.
By Bridget Judd
Questions from the audience
Novavax teachers about to be sacked even fully vaccinated with two doses. Reason is Novavax teachers are not eligible for the 3rd mandated dose. Their 3rd dose is not due for 3 months. According to the department of Health Victoria, these teachers can’t teach even they’re fully vaccinated. This is discrimination. I hope ABC will look into it. I’ve left two comments this morning but they’re ignored.
-Novavax Teachers
Afternoon, Novavax Teachers.
I'm not entirely sure that I'm reading your question correctly, but as it stands, COVID-19 vaccination is mandatory for all staff who work in schools in Victoria. This was announced last year, and staff were required to be fully vaccinated by November 26, 2021.
According to the Victorian government, for workers who became fully vaccinated on or before October 25, 2021, the deadline to receive a booster is February 25, 2022.
For workers that became fully vaccinated after October 25, 2021, the deadline is March 15, 2022.
Novavax joined the national vaccine program last week.
Any idea what the vaccination status is for QLD's deaths today? The CHO must have miss-spoke because he cited 1 had a first dose of vaccine, 6 had 2 doses and 6 had a booster but there were only 10 deaths...
-Confused 😕
Afternoon, Confused.
That's right, unfortunately Queensland recorded 10 deaths today.
They include:
- Three people in their 60s
- Three people in their 70s
- One person in their 80s
- Three people in their 90s
To answer your question though, it does look like the CHO misspoke - we'll follow up those vaccination figures.
By Bridget Judd
COVID-19 cases in Canberra schools have more than doubled in two weeks
In the first week of term one, Catholic and public schools recorded 395 cases in staff and students.
In week two, positive cases jumped to 909 across public and non-government schools.
It comes as Canberra today recorded 455 new infections.
By Bridget Judd
South Australia has recorded another four COVID deaths
They include a woman in her 60s, a man in his 70s, a woman in her 90s and a woman older than 100.
There are 219 people with COVID-19 in hospital, including 18 in intensive care and five on ventilators.
As we heard a short time ago, the state recorded 1,138 new COVID cases, an increase of 111 on yesterday.
There are now 13,292 active cases in the state.
By Bridget Judd
Want to head to NZ? You'll need to be at least double-vaccinated
New Zealand's government has laid out protocols for incoming travellers as the country prepares to open up its international borders at the end of the month.
New Zealand citizens abroad and eligible Australians will need to be at least double-dose vaccinated.
Travellers will also need to take a pre-departure test within 48 hours of arriving and undertake seven days of isolation.
It comes as the country grapples with a spike in COVID cases, reporting 744 new infections today.
By Jacqueline Howard
That's all from me today
I'll leave you in the loving care of Bridget Judd.
I'll see you next time.
By Jacqueline Howard
Further information on the deaths reported by NSW
Do you have a link or any information regarding further details on recent NSW covid deaths that was promised to be released by Dr Chant?
-Unable to find information
Each day, around midday AEDT, NSW Health sends out a media release with a detailed look at the figures that day. These are also uploaded to the NSW Health website - you can find today's here.
Today, NSW reported the deaths of 16 people with COVID-19 — 12 men and four women.
Three people were in their 70s, seven people were in their 80s, and six people were in their 90s.
Three people had received three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, seven people had received two doses, one person had received one dose, and five people were not vaccinated.
Three people were from the Shellharbour region, three people were from south-western Sydney, two people were from southern Sydney, two people were from northern NSW, two people were from Sydney’s Inner West, one person was from western Sydney, one person was from the Newcastle area, one person was from the Port Macquarie area and one person was from Inner Sydney.
This brings the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 1,745.
By Jacqueline Howard
Further information on the deaths reported in Victoria today
Victoria has recorded 20 deaths today.
Those people were aged in their 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
The Health department has clarified that two of the 20 deaths reported today occurred in the past two days.
It brings the total number of deaths in Victoria since the pandemic began to 2,306.
By Jacqueline Howard
Expert calls on Mark McGowan to reopen WA border amid 'public indifference' to COVID-19
UWA professor of political science and director of public policy Shamit Saggar says for two years, West Australians had heard COVID posed an existential threat to the people of WA but it never seemed to arrive.
"That fear is something that you can't rely upon indefinitely", he said.
Professor Saggar said public indifference to coronavirus had been exacerbated by the Premier's decision to cancel the February 5 border opening.
"The difficulty is we've cut ourselves off now, there's been a big announcement about opening up internationally and that's been put off at short notice.
"It's probably fair to say the West Australian public is quite confused about all of this."
Professor Saggar said there was very little that could be done to restore that trust, other than to announce a further plan for reopening, even if it was an incremental plan, and to stick to it.
On the streets of Perth yesterday, many people the ABC spoke to thought it was time for the border to be reopened.
By Jacqueline Howard
ACT records 455 new cases
The ACT has recorded 455 new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday.
There are 49 people in hospital with the virus in Canberra.
Four of those patients are in intensive care, with two requiring ventilation.
61.4 per cent of Canberrans aged 18 and older have now received their booster and 76.2 per cent of children aged five to 11 have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Of the new cases announced today, 218 were from PCR tests and 237 were from rapid antigen tests.
In its weekly update on COVID-19 cases in schools, ACT health authorities revealed that 909 positive cases had been reported to 119 Canberra schools last week.
