The Latest Breaking News on COVID-19

In a world moving on from the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals and medical offices have been the last bastions of mandatory masking. But new research finds that in communities where pandemic precautions have been largely abandoned, mask mandates in healthcare settings do little to prevent coronavirus infections among patients.

Here's a quick wrap of the COVID-19 news and case numbers from each Australian jurisdiction from the past week.

Only vulnerable children aged six months to four years will be offered the Covid-19 vaccine

More than 13,000 beds are being taken up by patients who no longer need to be in hospital.

Trikafta was added to the pharmaceutical benefits scheme for people over 11 years of age a year ago. Now, it will be available at an affordable price for younger children too, in a hard-fought win for families.

The third leading cause of death among Australians last year was COVID-19, prompting a stern warning against treating the deadly virus like it was the flu.

So-called "chemtrail" conspiracies were also singled out for ridicule

Figures show that less than half of pregnant women in the capital have received the jab

The World Health Organization has warned of a new "more infectious" Covid variant dubbed "Arcturus" which is spreading in 22 countries and has been described as "one to watch"