Health authorities also announced one person has died from the virus in the past 24 hours.However, hospitalisations and intensive care presentations remain relatively low, with 206 people in hospital with the virus, including 26 patients in ICU.It comes as Victoria also recorded high numbers with 1504 cases and seven deaths.Saturday’s case numbers in NSW are a jump from the previous record of 2213 on Friday. There were 1742 cases in NSW on Thursday and 1360 on Wednesday as the new Omicron variant runs rampant across the state.Saturday’s update comes a day after NSW Health flagged major changes to its contact tracing system.NSW Health on Friday said confirmed cases of coronavirus would now need to identify and alert their own close contacts.Earlier in the week Premier Dominic Perrottet said only household close contacts or anyone who attended a venue identified by NSW Health would need to isolate for seven days.Instead, fully vaccinated close contacts will be required to get tested and isolate until a negative result is returned.Mandatory QR code check-ins have also been scrapped in many places, including in cafes and restaurants.It came as Victoria recorded 1504 new Covid-19 cases and seven more deaths in the past 24 hours.Crucially, hospitalisations were 384, the same number as on Friday.There are 84 people in intensive care, down from 87 the day before.Saturday’s figures – which are only slightly down from Friday’s – came after state officials backtracked on a major Covid restriction, keeping masks mandatory in all retail settings.The extension came amid concerns the new Omicron variant was spreading rapidly in the community, with Victoria recording its highest number of daily infections since late October.Face masks are, however, no longer required at weddings, funerals or ceremonial settings.‘CAN’T GO BACK’Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australia “can’t go back to lockdowns” amid record case numbers in NSW and the increasing threat of Omicron.Mr Morrison shot down any suggestion of lockdowns and restrictions after NSW recorded 2213 cases, the highest number since the pandemic began.“We can’t go back to lockdowns, we all know that. Right from the start of this pandemic, we have always sought to balance saving lives and saving livelihoods,” he said, in a strong message to state premiers,” he said in Sydney on Friday. “We must continue to listen carefully to the medical advice and we are doing that every day, but we are in a different phase of the pandemic.”He said case numbers were no longer a metric or indicator and instead serious illness or hospitalisation should be the deciding factor.“More information will become clear about the severity of illness relating to Omicron, but so far, there is nothing to suggest it is certainly worse,” he said.Mr Morrison also used a new slogan while spruiking the mid-year budget update’s forecast that there would be one million jobs created over the next four years.“Jabs and jobs. That’s what our government is delivering. Yesterday, again, we had another record day on the booster shots for Omicron,” he said.He said states and territories were being encouraged to keep their vaccination hubs open to help with the booster shot program.“It’s something we discussed last meeting between Premiers and chief ministers and I,” he said.“They were keen to get that advice and we’ve given that advice that we need to keep as much of this open and rolling.“We are now almost up to 200,000 doses administered a day, again, because of the strong interest and response from the Australian public to the booster program.”NSW CASES SOAR AGAIN TO 2213NSW’s Covid-19 cases have soared to 2213 new infections reported on Friday, along with one new death.There are 215 people in hospital with the virus, with 24 in intensive care.Of the NSW population aged over 16, 93.3 per cent are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and 94.8 per cent have had at least one dose.There were 127,583 tests conducted in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday.QUEENSLAND CASESQueensland recorded 20 new Covid cases overnight, 9 locally acquired, 7 acquired interstate and 4 detected in quarantine.Of today’s new cases, five were in Brisbane north, eight in Brisbane south, one in West Moreton, two on the Sunshine Coast, two on the Gold Coast and two in Cairns.Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said 83 per cent of Queenslanders were now fully vaccinated. There are now five Omicron cases in the state.SOUTH AUSTRALIA: 64 CASESSouth Australia has recorded 64 new cases of Covid-19.“We’re going to see those numbers climb … we know that the Omicron variant is far more transmissible,” Premier Steven Marshall said.Of the new cases, 49 were locally acquired, three were from overseas and 12 are still under investigation.Mr Marshall said only three people have been admitted to hospital since borders opened, with one in a stable condition.“We are still encouraging every single person in this state to get vaccinated.”The premier said authorities were considering bringing the time boosters could be administered to fully vaccinated people forward to less than five months – which is the current national time frame following the Omicron scare.BOOSTER CHANGES POSSIBLEIt comes as Scott Morrison says the nation’s immunisation authority is reviewing the booster shot rollout “every week”, with the nation “ready to go” if the interval time is cut by another month.Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Mr Morrison was asked if the Omicron variant could put positive jobs figures revealed in the mid-year budget update on Thursday at risk.The unemployment rate is forecast to fall to 4.5 per cent by next year, and new figures reveal it already fell to just 4.6 per cent last month.The Prime Minister said the government would stick to the plan and follow the expert advice before flagging that further changes to fast-track the booster program were being investigated.Mr Morrison said if the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) decided it was OK to reduce the wait time between the second and third dose to four months they were “ready to go”.ATAGI on Sunday changed the time frame between the doses from six months to five “given the likelihood of ongoing transmission of both Omicron and Delta”.“There’s over two million Australians who are now eligible for that booster shot which has been brought forward to five months,” Mr Morrison said.“We are every week reviewing that interval period with ATAGI for those booster shots and if they choose to take it forward to four months, well, we have a million vaccines right now in the distribution system, particularly in pharmacies, all around the country.“The interval I wish to stress of the duration between when you have had your second dose and your booster is set on the basis of the advice of ATAGI.”He said the situation in Australia was very different to the UK, where everyone will be eligible for a booster shot before the end of the year amid an anticipated tidal wave of Omicron.“They are dealing with a situation where their second doses were a lot earlier in the year and they are also in a winter period as opposed to where we are here,” Mr Morrison said.The Prime Minister said lockdown decisions should no longer be based on case numbers, but by how many people are in hospital or intensive care.“So my simple message to Australians is to go about your lives, enjoy the summer, exercise the common sense precautions that you would. If you’re feeling uncertain, then it’s not compulsory to go out. It’s not compulsory not to wear a mask either.”Australia on Thursday overtook Belgium to have the 10th highest full vaccination rate in the world, with 89 per cent of people over 16 double dosed.Speaking with Sky News, vaccine rollout chief Lieutenant General John Frewen said Australians had responded “remarkably” to the call to get vaccinated.“We’re going to hit 90 per cent fully vaccinated across the nation, so Australians have responded remarkably to this,” he said.The emergence of the Omicron variant has launched fresh questions about the effectiveness of the vaccine rollout after a decision to bring forward booster shots to five months led to a rush of people attempting to get their third jab.NED-2108 State of our bordersCOVID SCARE AT FEDERAL PARLIAMENTA fully vaccinated staff member on Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor’s team has tested positive to Covid.The staff member is upbeat about spending Christmas Day in isolation.Minister Taylor and members of his Canberra ministerial office have undertaken Covid tests. Minister Taylor has returned a negative result.Parliament House has been notified and ACT Health guidelines are being adhered to.In a statement, a spokesperson for Energy Minister Angus Taylor confirmed a staff member tested positive. “A fully vaccinated staff member on Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor’s team has tested positive to COVID,” they said. “The staff member is upbeat about spending Christmas Day in isolation. “Minister Taylor and members of his Canberra ministerial office have undertaken Covid tests. Minister Taylor has returned a negative result.“Parliament House has been notified and ACT Health guidelines are being adhered to.”Ministerial staffers have been asked to work at home if possible.
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