Here's a quick wrap of the COVID-19 news and case numbers from each Australian jurisdiction for the past week, as reported on Friday, April 7, 2023.
The states and territories are now reporting their COVID-19 statistics weekly instead of through the daily updates that were provided from the early days of the pandemic.
The ACT has not yet released its latest COVID-19 statistics for the period leading up to April 7.
News you may have missed
- About 4 million Queenslanders contracted COVID-19 at least once last year, infecting more people in a single year than any other virus in the state's history, Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said. Read the full story here.
- A new wave of COVID-19 has hit South Australia, with updated modelling predicting the state to record up to 7,000 cases over the next four days. Read the full story here.
Share your story
How are you dealing with the "new normal" as Australia transitions to living with COVID-19? We want to hear from you.
New South Wales
The state has recorded 9,876 more COVID-19 cases.
There are 952 cases in hospital, 20 of those in intensive care.
There were 36 deaths announced on Friday.
Victoria
There have been another 5,772 COVID-19 cases.
There are 183 cases in hospital, with nine of them in intensive care.
There were 20 deaths announced on Friday.
South Australia
There have been 2,719 new COVID-19 cases in South Australia this week.
There are 125 cases in hospital and five of them are in intensive care.
The state has recorded another five deaths.
Queensland
Queensland has recorded 3,953 new COVID-19 cases in the past week.
There are 231 people in hospital with the virus, seven of whom are in intensive care.
The state has recorded an additional 12 deaths this week.
Western Australia
WA Health has recorded 3,446 COVID-19 cases in the past week.
There are 112 people with COVID-19 in hospital, with two of them in ICU.
This week's report includes three deaths.
Tasmania
Tasmania has recorded 959 new cases of COVID-19, up from 211 the previous week.
There were 30 new admissions to hospitals in the past seven days and two deaths.
Northern Territory
There have been 194 new cases recorded in the Northern Territory.
There are 12 people in hospital.
No new deaths have been reported.
One thing to know: COVID-19 becomes third leading cause of death, according to the Actuaries Institute
COVID-19 has skyrocketed to become the third leading cause of death among Australians in 2022, according to figures released by the Actuaries Institute on Thursday.
More than 20,000 additional people died last year than would have if there had been no pandemic, the report said.
According to the Actuaries Institute, Australia recorded 10,300 deaths directly attributed to COVID-19 in 2022, compared to 1,400 deaths in 2021, when it was listed as the 34th leading cause of death.
On top of those deaths directly attributable to the disease, 2,900 deaths were considered to be COVID-19-related, with the disease contributing along with other factors, and 7,000 deaths where COVID-19 was not officially listed as a factor but could have played a role in mortality risk.
It makes COVID-19 third only to ischaemic heart disease and dementia as causes of death in Australia, outstripping stroke, lung and colon cancer, lower respiratory disease, and diabetes.
COVID-19 antiviral eligibility criteria have changed
An additional 160,000 Australians are now able to access subsidised COVID-19 antiviral treatments after the federal government expanded eligibility criteria under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
People in their 60s with one risk factor for severe COVID-19 can get a prescription for Pfizer's oral antiviral treatment, Paxlovid, which was previously only available to people in this age group with two risk factors.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler says the increased availability of the antiviral drug would help take pressure off Australian hospitals.
COVID-19 antiviral drugs work best when taken as soon as possible, generally within five days of testing positive or symptom onset.
One more thing: The pandemic has changed the way we travel
A lingering side effect of the pandemic has been changing travel habits.
Gone are the days of planning holidays months in advance as more families are happy to wait until the last minute to book their flights and accommodation.
Industry insiders believe the trend is likely a "COVID hangover", fuelled by the residual uncertainty of border closures and lockdowns that cruelled travel plans for the better part of three years.
According to research from the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, people are less likely to holiday than they were this time last year.
ABC/AAP
