However under new close contact rules, the Prime Minister isn’t required to isolate.NSW Health advised Mr Morrison the positive case attended his Wednesday press conference in Sydney while potentially infectious, Sky reports.“Kirribilli House residents and staff members are acting in accordance with the instructions from NSW Health,” a spokesperson for the PM told Sky News.“As per the NSW Health guidelines, the Prime Minister was not required to isolate or get tested and will monitor for symptoms.”QUEENSLAND’S RECORD CASE NUMBERS Queensland has hit a record 3587 new Covid cases as residents wake to strict new mask rules decreeing face coverings must be worn at all times in indoor venues.There are currently 16,688 active cases in the state, with Sunday’s numbers topping the previous record of 3118 on New Year’s Eve.Hospitalisations have jumped from 80 to 112 – with five people now in intensive care – up from one.There are no people on ventilators but two pregnant women are among the people in intensive care, one of whom is unvaccinated.Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard said he expected to see more pregnant women catching the virus in the coming weeks and months as case numbers surged but nonetheless warned of the specific dangers Covid presents to expecting mothers.“It is critical that pregnant women (and) women who are planning to get pregnant, get vaccinated because the virus is not good for the pregnant mother nor for the unborn child,” Dr Gerrard said.“Many people aren‘t aware that pregnancy… your level of immunity is slightly suppressed. This means that pregnant women are more susceptible to a number of different infections including Covid-19. That is why it is so critical that pregnant women get vaccinated.”NSW RECORDS 18,278 CASESIt comes as the number of new Covid cases in NSW eased slightly to 18,278, but hospitalisations are now above 1000.NSW’s daily case numbers hit a record 22,577 on Saturday morning but have fallen back in the 24 hours since, a reporting period that stretched over New Year’s Day.Two more people died from Covid in the past 24 hours.The number of people in hospital – 1066 patients – is up from 901 on January 1, while there are now 83 people in intensive care, up from 79.Covid hospitalisations in NSW have doubled in the week since Christmas and are expected to rise even further as a rampant Omicron outbreak tests assurances the state’s health system can manage the surging load.Sunday’s 1066 hospitalisations are up from 388 hospitalisations reported on Christmas Day and 458 on Boxing Day, while the number of people in intensive care has risen by 30 – from 52 to 82 – in that time.Victoria recorded 7172 new cases on Sunday down slightly from the daily record 7442 posted on New Year’s Day.Three more people in Victoria died, while 472 patients are in hospital.NED-5151-Covid-19-booster-shots-graphicPolitical opponents have savaged the NSW government in recent days for its handling of the Omicron surge, particularly how it is resourcing an increasingly under-pressure health system.Premier Dominic Perrottet and Health Minister Brad Hazzard have consistently stated that the state’s health system is in a solid position despite the dramatic rise in infections and mayhem caused by an explosion in testing demands.However, a decision to pare back isolation requirements for hospital staff has been described as a sign the system is coming under intense pressure.NSW Health revealed on Friday that health workers classified as close contacts will be permitted to leave self-isolation in exceptional circumstances to ensure hospitals and testing clinics are not disrupted.
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