COVID-19 cases continue to grow across Australia. Source: AP
Some 96,955 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, with virus-related deaths also on the rise.
A total of 49 people died from COVID-19 across NSW, Victoria and South Australia.
Meanwhile, it is now mandatory for residents in NSW to report positive rapid antigen test (RAT) results through the ServiceNSW app.
“This health order has been signed off this morning,” Premier Dominic Perrottet told reporters on Wednesday.
If someone fails to register a positive RAT there will be a $1,000 fine, which will be enforced from 19 January, he said.
While all positive RATs since 1 January can now be reported, the mandate only applies to positive tests from Wednesday.
Mr Perrottet said the reporting process would “only take a couple of minutes”.
He said the shift was not just about counting cases but understanding who has underlying conditions and may need more care.
Those who test positive will be asked for details about their medical background and sorted into high and low risk cases, with the former to receive extra contact from NSW Health.
People who test positive on RATs will have to isolate for seven days, unless they have no symptoms and no known exposure – in which case they must do another test within 24 hours.
NSW Health has repeatedly warned the official case numbers were likely inaccurate, as so far it has counted those who have returned a positive PCR test.
Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant apologised for the “messy” transition to the testing approach, which she said had happened far quicker than authorities wanted.
She urged anyone who did not have access to RATs – which remain scarce – to take a PCR, especially if they have underlying conditions.
Mr Perrottet said PCR testing will still play a role, particularly as NSW struggles with RAT supply.
The new policy will make PCR lines and turnarounds shorter, he said.
All states and territories aside Western Australia have now provided a way for residents to register their results from RATs.
WA only lifted a ban on the tests on Monday.
Of the 21 deaths announced in NSW on Wednesday, seven were historic and one was a man in his 30s.
There were 34,759 new cases found via 134,411 PCR tests, meaning one in four people tested returned a positive result.
Some 2,242 people are in hospital with COVID-19 across NSW, 175 of them in intensive care.
Victoria has recorded 40,127 new COVID-19 infections and 21 people have also died with the virus, as the state’s health system continues to struggle.
The new infections include 18,434 from RATs and 21,693 from PCR tests, the Health Department said on Wednesday.
The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 jumped to 946, 85 more than the previous day, with 112 in ICU and 31 requiring ventilators.
It comes as doctors and pharmacists will be brought into Victorian primary schools in a COVID-19 vaccination blitz for children aged five to 11.
Premier Daniel Andrews on Tuesday announced a $4 million grants program for GPs and community pharmacists to establish mini-clinics at schools in areas that need more uptake.
Queensland has recorded another 22,069 COVID-19 cases with the state’s outbreak spreading to all but two local government areas.
The new cases emerged after 57,604 tests in the 24 hours to 6.30am on Wednesday, taking the total number of active cases in the state to 130,947.
Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said there are now 525 people being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals, with 30 in intensive care and eight patients on a ventilator.
He said it is evident from clinical data on more than 500 patients that vaccination, especially boosters, provides people with good protection from the virus.
“If you are unvaccinated, you are nine times more likely to end up in hospital than if you have received a boosted vaccination, that is three doses of vaccine,” Dr Gerrard told reporters on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said 3,985 of the new cases emerged after home rapid antigen test results reported by individuals.
She said there were no plans to penalise or fine people for failing to report positive RAT results like NSW is proposing.
Authorities in South Australia recorded 3,715 new cases and announced the deaths of seven people: a woman in her 60s, a woman in her 70s, two women in their 80s, two women in their 90s and a man in his 90s.
There are 190 people with COVID-19 in hospital, including 27 people in ICU and six requiring a ventilator.
Tasmania has recorded 1,583 new COVID-19 cases, the island state’s second-highest daily figure since reopening borders one month ago.
Eight people are being treated in hospital, an increase of one from Tuesday’s figure. None are in intensive case.
Another 14 people are in hospital for unrelated medical conditions.
The new cases, made up of 847 self-reported positive rapid antigen tests and 736 PCR tests, takes the number of active infections to 8,764.
Tasmania was free of the virus when it reopened on 15 December to mainland hotspots.
Thirty-six cases are staying at community management facilities, while 271 people are utilising the COVID-at-home care method.
The state health department said 731 people have been released from isolation in the past 24 hours.
State Health Commander and Health Department Secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks on Tuesday tested positive. She is asymptomatic and isolating at home.
The ACT has reported 1,078 new COVID-19 cases but the number of people in hospital remains low.
The new cases came from nearly 5,000 tests and were a slight drop on Tuesday’s record high 1,508 infections.
The territory is expected to launch a reporting system for positive rapid antigen test results this week.
Border shuts in WA
WA Health reported two new local COVID-19 cases and four travel-related cases.
Separately, the Northern Territory will move to “extreme risk” from Thursday, joining all other states and territories under that classification from WA.
Under the extreme risk setting, travel into WA from the Northern Territory will not be permitted except under the most exceptional circumstances.
Premier Mark McGowan said: “We know the Omicron variant is spreading rapidly around much of the country and unfortunately the Northern Territory is now too seeing an accelerating caseload in the community.”
The daily number of COVID-19 infections reported in the Northern Territory has fallen significantly with 352 new cases recorded.
The Top End detected 594 new cases on Tuesday, 403 on Monday, 481 on Sunday and 594 on Saturday.
SBS
