Get up to speed on the latest coronavirus news in the one place.
Read the news and updates from our Saturday, January 22, 2022 live blog — as it happened.
Key events
- WA records seven new cases
- The ACT has one person in ICU, no new deaths
- Queensland records 10 new deaths of people with COVID-19
- South Australia records three deaths of people with COVID-19
- Tasmania records second death of a person with COVID since December
- NSW records 30 new deaths of those with COVID-19
- Victoria records 20 new deaths of those with COVID-19
Live updates
By Simon Smale
Cases, hospitalisations and deaths
If you don't see your state or territory yet, don't worry - these numbers are updated throughout the day.
For a detailed breakdown of cases across the country, check out Charting the Spread.
NSW: 30 deaths and 20,148 cases; 2,762 people in hospital, including 204 in ICUs. Read more. Re-watch the press conference
ACT: 0 deaths and 666 new cases; 63 people in hospital, including 1 person ventilated in ICU.
Victoria: 20 deaths and 16,016 cases; 1,029 people in hospital, including 120 in ICUs. Read more. Press conference at 11:30am AEDT
Tasmania: 1 death and 726 new cases; 31 people in hospital, including 2 in ICU. Read more.
Queensland: 10 deaths and 15,050; 884 people in hospital, including 52 in ICU. Re-watch the press conference.
South Australia: 3 deaths and 2,193 new cases; 275 people in hospital, including 37 in ICU. Read more.
Northern Territory: 314 new cases; 63 people in hospital, including 1 in ICU. Read more
Western Australia: 7 new locally acquired cases. No cases in hospital. Read more
By Dan Nancarrow
That's all from us today
Thank you for reading. The blog will return tomorrow. Until then, you stay tuned to our Coronavirus page for any further news related to the pandemic.
By Dan Nancarrow
NT Hospitalisations increase for the ninth straight day
The NT government says 63 COVID patients are in hospital, with six receiving oxygen and one in intensive care.
It is the ninth day in a row the number of COVID-19 hospitalisations in the Northern Territory has increased.
By Dan Nancarrow
NT community of Utopia to lockdown
The community of Utopia will also enter a seven-day lockdown from 2pm today, Ms Fyles said.
"This is a community of concern for us," she said.
"There were 22 new cases in Utopia, and these cases were across four outstations."
She said the double-dose vaccination rate in Utopia was around 40 per cent.
By Dan Nancarrow
Spread of cases in the NT
Of the 4,048 active coronavirus cases in the NT, about 1,500 are in the Top End, 500 are in Central Australia, 70 in East Arnhem, 200 in Big Rivers and about 30 in the Barkly Region.
Ms Fyles said there were coronavirus cases in all the town camps in Alice Springs.
By Dan Nancarrow
Lockout extended as the NT records 314 new cases
A lockout has been extended in Alice Springs, the Amoonguna community, Yuendumu, Yuelamu and Galiwin'ku for a further seven days, NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles says.
Under lockout restrictions, unvaccinated people can only leave their home for essential reasons, while people who are fully vaccinated can live as normal with a mask mandate.
It comes as the NT recorded 314 new COVID-19 cases overnight, more than two thirds of which were recorded using rapid antigen tests.
"We are concerned with the case numbers in Central Australia and what is concerning is the movement of the community," Ms Fyles said.
By Simon Smale
Why do we find making new friends so hard as adults?
Loneliness is harmful to our health and as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, increasingly common.
Fortunately, I have a friend in Dan Nancarrow, who is going to take over for the next little while.
But if you want some tips on how to make new friends as an adult, Anastasia Hronis has the answers.
By Simon Smale
WA records seven new cases
WA Health has reported seven new locally acquired COVID-19 cases and four travel-related cases to 8pm last night.
Five of the seven local cases are known contacts of a previously reported cases, with one person potentially infectious in the community.
The two other local cases are currently under investigation and have not yet been linked directly to any previous cases.
Those two cases are from different households and contact tracers are helping determine their potential exposure sites.
All cases are currently in self-quarantine.
There are currently 78 confirmed active cases in WA. Of these, 27 are in hotel quarantine, 51 are in self-quarantine. No cases are currently in hospital.
WA Health has also issued an important message to all those in the Perth, Peel and South West regions experiencing symptoms, telling the to get tested immediately and isolate until they receive a negative result.
This applies to anyone symptomatic – even if they have not visited a listed exposure site.
By Simon Smale
666 ABC Canberra AM radio station
-NeilA
666 is ABC Canberra radio. A market opportunity?
-Ken
By Simon Smale
Protests in Melbourne CBD
Over a thousand protestors staged a "Freedom Rally" across Melbourne's CBD this afternoon opposing COVID-19 vaccination mandates.
Despite the heat, demonstrators gathered at Parliament House around midday and marched along Bourke Street before making a pitstop at Flinders Street Station and continuing down Flinders Street.
A highly visible police presence followed the crowd as it travelled through the CBD before stopping at the Victoria Police Centre.
Drums, airhorns and chants of "save our children", "sack Dan Andrews" and "free Victoria" were heard throughout the city as a further 20 deaths were recorded across the state.
It comes as health authorities attempt to deliver 60,000 shots this weekend as part of a booster blitz.
By Simon Smale
Shame nobody told my GP to give me an ice cream after my booster shot. I feel I've missed out.
-RobertHind in Melbourne
Tell me about it...
Everyone getting their booster right now vs us...
By Simon Smale
Oooooh, 666 cases in ACT!!! Cue spooky music.
-Devil's number
Not that I’m spooked, but 666 cases in the ACT???
-Angel
By Simon Smale
Ice creams handed out at Victorian vax hubs on day two of vaccination blitz
You’ve been hearing today about the Victorian vaccination “blitz” at state-run hubs, with extended hours and more staff making it easier to get a dose.
It’s a scorcher out there in much of the state today, with a top of 34 degrees Celsius forecast for Melbourne and similar temperatures in regional centres.
The government has been handing out free water and ice creams for those who have waited in line to get their doses.
Pictured here are photos taken by ABC reporter Kate Ashton, who has been at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton.
Sally Willars is smiling under that mask after receiving her booster dose and an ice cream today.
Reporting by Yara Murray-Atfield.
By Simon Smale
The ACT has one person in ICU, no new deaths
The ACT has recorded 666 new cases of COVID-19 —224 from PCR tests and 442 from rapid antigen tests.
There are 63 people in hospital with COVID-19 in Canberra, including one person in intensive care who requires ventilation.
36.4 per cent of Canberrans aged 18 and older have received their booster and 41.7 per cent of children aged five to 11 have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
98.6 per cent of Canberrans aged 12 and older are double-dosed.
By Simon Smale
By Simon Smale
Victorians whose PCR results were discarded could miss out on financial support
The nearly 100,000 Victorians who had their COVID-19 swabs thrown out due to delays in the PCR testing system could miss out on financial support from the government.
More than 90,000 PCR tests were ditched last week because they were considered no longer valid. Authorities confirmed today that a further 1,700 processed through Alfred Health were discarded later in the week.
People were told to instead take a RAT and isolate for seven days if they had symptoms.
At the time, COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said the government supported the pathology labs’ decision because the week-old swabs would have given “increasingly meaningless” results.
A spokesperson for the National Recovery and Resilience Agency said people would be eligible for financial support with either a PCR test or a RAT, provided they met the other criteria.
Rapid tests have been hard to come by during the Omicron surge, with supply constraints and price gouging creating barriers to access.
The vast majority of testing sites in Victoria are run by the state government in partnership with various pathology labs.
A Victorian government spokesperson turned the blame onto the Commonwealth, saying “people shouldn’t be made to jump through hoops to receive help when they need it most”.
“The Commonwealth Government should fix this as a matter of urgency.
“In the absence of federal approach, we’re making sure Victorians can access free rapid tests - with 210 million orders and thousands being handed out at state testing hubs each day.”
The wait time for both testing sites and the PCR test results has dropped significantly in the past week, as the rapid tests have become more accessible in the state.
Reporting by Yara Murray-Atfield
By Simon Smale
What about another booster?
I'm coming up on 3 months since my booster, am I eligible for another dose? The ATAGI website only talks about the first booster after completing your initial vaccine course.
-S
Hi S,
At the moment, ATAGI only recommends a third booster and no more. Yet.
Israel does offer a fourth dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to some of its citizens, to the country's over-60s and healthcare workers, amid concern over the worldwide spread of the Omicron variant.
It is likely that the data from Israel will inform decisions around the world as to whether a fourth dose is necessary.
By Simon Smale
'Needlephobia' program to help kids prepare for their COVID jabs
With children as young as five eligible for their first COVID vaccine doses, plenty of parents out there are going to have to handle some pretty upset kids regarding needles.
Of course, kids get vaccines for other things as well, so will have had to encounter a needle at some point in their lives before now and into the future, but for those who really struggle with needles, there's a Queensland clinic that wants to help.
By Simon Smale
When can I get boosted after testing positive?
Hi, I have tested positive and I’m isolating. My booster shot is scheduled for the day after I am released from isolation. Can I still have it or do I need to wait?
-Positive test
Hi, Positive test.
First up, I hope you're feeling OK and that your symptoms are as mild as possible.
You ask a really good question though, for which there are no clear answers.
Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) are still working on exact rules, however there are some guidelines that this article outlines pretty well.
If you are an adult, the current ATAGI advice is that you can have your booster once you have recovered from the acute infection, but it's not as simple as that for some.
Based on vaccinology principles, it would be reasonable to consider waiting at least three months after you're well to get your booster dose, but you may choose to bring your booster dose forward if:
- you have underlying health conditions that place you at higher medical risk
- you work in a workplace where you have higher risk of COVID exposure or
- you are required to have a booster dose to go to work.
In those circumstances, you might consider having the booster a few weeks after you have recovered from the acute illness.
By Simon Smale
Morgan had mild COVID. Four weeks later he's cancelled sport, cut down on the gym and is often in bed by 8pm
US researchers are finding patients with mild COVID-19 are developing long COVID, and they suggest "pushing through" the illness — even if it's mild — could be part of the problem.
Read the story from national science, technology and environment reporter Michael Slezak.
