Look back on the day's events as they unfolded in the live blog.
Key events
- SA announces plan for elective surgery to resume
- WA records 13 new local cases
- The NT records 1,122 new cases, including 152 which are being added to Monday's total
- Queensland records 10 deaths and 7,588 new cases
- SA reports three COVID-19 deaths and 1,266 new cases
- Tasmania records no new deaths and 699 new cases
- Victoria records 34 deaths and 11,311 new cases
- NSW records 30 deaths and 12,818 new cases
Live updates
By Alexis Moran
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: 12,818 new cases, 2,749 people in hospital, 186 in ICU, 30 deaths.
VIC: 11,311 new cases, 851 people in hospital, 106 in ICU, 34 deaths.
TAS: 699 new cases, 16 people in hospital, 1 in ICU, 0 deaths.
SA: 1,266 new cases, 273 people in hospital, 22 in ICU, 3 deaths.
ACT: 522 new cases, 64 people in hospital, 1 in ICU, 0 deaths.
QLD: 7,588 new cases, 868 people in hospital, 50 in ICU, 10 deaths.
NT: 1,122 new cases, 132 people in hospital, 4 in ICU, 0 deaths.
WA: 13 new cases, 1 in hospital, 0 in ICU, 0 deaths.
By Jacqueline Howard
That's it for today
As always, thank you for joining us and we'll see you tomorrow.
By Jacqueline Howard
Beijing Winter Olympics organisers say growing COVID cases are "within controllable range"
The COVID-19 situation at the Beijing Winter Olympics is within the "expected controllable range", despite increasing positive cases being detected, officials overseeing the Winter Games said.
The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Organizing Committee has reported 200 COVID cases since January 23 among airport arrivals and those in the Games "closed loop" bubble that separates all event personnel, including athletes, from the public.
"As more people are entering China the imported COVID-19 cases are increasing," said Huang Chun, deputy director general of the committee's Pandemic Prevention and Control Office at a press briefing.
Mr Huang said rising cases were also a result of more effective and accurate COVID detection techniques by customs.
Games organisers reported a total of 24 new COVID cases among Games-related personnel on January 31, of which 16 were athletes.
Many athletes have been shut out from the Games, which will run February 4-20, after testing positive on arrival at the airport. While many more are put in isolation after testing COVID but are asymptomatic.
"Getting to the Olympics is never easy, and this time, as a new mom, it has been the most challenging," Elana Meyers Taylor, a three times Olympic medalist in bobsled, wrote on social media from her isolation hotel.
China credits the strict COVID control measures, including frequent nucleic acid testings, for helping prevent clustered cases inside the closed loop.
"(The COVID-19 situation) is generally within our expected controllable range. So the Games participants, including athletes, and Chinese public do not have to worry," said Mr Huang.
He said Olympics organisers were not considering any major changes to COVID control policies at the Games.
By Jacqueline Howard
Canberra woman who attended Halloween party while COVID-positive given good behaviour bond
A 19-year-old Gordon woman who attended a Halloween party while knowingly COVID-positive in October 2021 has been given a good behaviour bond in the ACT Magistrates Court today.
She was diagnosed with COVID-19 in October last year, while the ACT was still subject to various COVID-19 public health orders – including a mandatory 14-day quarantine period for positive cases.
The court heard she left quarantine on day 11 to attend a Halloween party, and then went out in Canberra's city centre with friends.
The court heard police were alerted to the breach of the public health orders through an anonymous tip-off, after someone who wanted to attend the party found out she would be attending.
By Jacqueline Howard
Paris 2024 boss to miss Winter Olympics after testing positive for COVID
Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet will not attend the Beijing Winter Olympics after testing positive for COVID-19, the French organising committee said.
Mr Estanguet was due to fly to the Chinese capital to observe the first part of the Winter Games but will now stay in France, with Etienne Thobois, the Paris 2024 chief executive, expecting to make the trip.
Mr Estanguet was at the start of last year's Tokyo Olympics after also attending part of the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang.
French Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu will also fly to Beijing during the Games to visit French athletes.
By Jacqueline Howard
COVID will soon be endemic. This doesn't mean it's harmless or we give up, just that it's part of life
We have experienced many bumps in the road since 2020 and one would have to be extremely brave to predict what the pandemic may throw at us next.
But in terms of the endgame, many experts believe COVID will eventually become an endemic disease.
However, what this actually means is a source of considerable confusion. One of the main reasons for this is a misunderstanding of endemicity itself, and what COVID being an endemic disease would actually look like in the real world.
The discussion around COVID becoming endemic becomes even more complicated by very different views about what this actually translates to in practice.
It's important to emphasise it doesn't mean we drop our guard, surrender to the virus or downgrade the threat the virus poses to individuals and the community.
We remain vigilant and respond to surges in cases when they occur, doing what's needed to keep transmission as low as possible.
Importantly, a disease being considered endemic doesn't mean we consider it mild. It just means it remains a part of our lives, and therefore we still protect the vulnerable from severe illness, as we do with other diseases.
It's crucial we understand living with the virus isn't the same thing as ignoring the virus. Instead, it represents an adjustment in the way in which we respond to the disease.
By Jacqueline Howard
SA announces plan for elective surgery to resume
Elective surgery is set to return gradually to SA over February.
By the end of this month the government plans to resume all public and private hospital elective surgery procedures.
- 7 February: Resumption of private day surgery and surgery at country hospitals
- 14 February: Up to 75 per cent of all surgeries in private hospitals to resume, and day surgery in public metropolitan hospitals
- 21 February: All private elective surgery and day surgery resumes, and all category 2 surgeries in public metropolitan hospitals
- 28 February: Resumption of all elective surgery
By Jacqueline Howard
New Zealand Open scrapped over COVID travel restrictions
The New Zealand Open golf championship has been cancelled for the second year running, due to ongoing travel restrictions to protect the country from the pandemic.
"We have done everything within our power to make this event happen," tournament chairman John Hart said on the event's website.
"However, with the current government restrictions in place, running an event that includes 250 players, 250 caddies, 500 volunteers, nearly 100 tournament staff and officials, plus numerous contractors, as well (as) spectators, is just not possible."
The organisers had announced in December that the championship, part of the PGA Tour Australasia, would go ahead.
It had been scheduled to take place from March 31-April 3 at the Millbrook Resort near Queenstown on the country's South Island. The three leading players would have won direct entry into the prestigious 150th Open Championship at St Andrews.
By Jacqueline Howard
Justin Trudeau tests positive
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tested positive for COVID-19 but is “feeling fine” and will continue to work remotely from home.
Mr Trudeau said two of his children have COVID-19 and a test Monday revealed he has been infected as well.
Mr Trudeau has had three vaccine doses.
His diagnosis comes as the Canadian government faces mass protests against vaccine mandates in the country.
Some of those protesters were seen urinating on the National War Memorial and dancing on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, while a number carried signs and flags with swastikas.
Many refused to wear masks in hotels, malls and grocery stores and one homeless shelter reported protesters had demanded it feed them.
By Jacqueline Howard
A quarter of a million vaccine doses delivered yesterday
Casey Briggs has taken to the graphinator to compare the vaccine deliveries around the states in the most recent reporting period
By Jacqueline Howard
Chickens in short supply as COVID drives demand for backyard egg farming
But those looking for an egg-layer or two for the backyard are also battling to get their hands on a chook, for very different reasons.
While not quite as rare as hens' teeth, chickens are currently in high demand across Adelaide.
The South Australian Poultry Association said the spread of COVID was causing more people to stay at home, prompting parents to seek novel ways to entertain their own broods.
"The children — rather than sitting on a couch for five hours with a gaming machine — actually get out and learn to look after an animal, to care for an animal, and collect the eggs," the association's James Hawker said.
"Currently I know there are waiting lists for ISA brown egg-layers at many fodder stores."
Mr Hawker said people in the market to buy a chicken for the back garden could be waiting for up to two months for one to become available.
By Jacqueline Howard
Health Minister defends spending on hospitals
A new Productivity Commission report has revealed that Victoria spends less on public hospital patients than any other state.
The Commission's annual report on government services shows Victorian public hospitals received less than $2,700 per person in recurrent expenditure from 2019 to 2020, compared to the national average of almost $3,000.
That report also shows Victorian public hospitals have just 2.3 beds available for 1,000 people, which is the lowest of all the states.
Health Minister Martin Foley said the state spent much more money on community care and hospital in the home programs, and highlighted recent government spending on the health system.
“When you look at the totality of health investment in Victoria, we have a world-class system,” he said.
“[We’re] always capable of doing more, which is why this government is investing record levels in services, people and infrastructure.”
By Jacqueline Howard
Travelling with a G2G pass
Hi Jac, I'm concerned about what happens if I haven't heard about my g2g pass by the time I have to board my flight? Is there any directive from the wa police or government? Thanks
-Anxious
WA Police need to scan your G2G pass when you arrive in the state, so it's crucial that you have it.
The G2G website says if you have questions regarding imminent travel, you can contact 13 COVID for advice (13 26843). So certainly give them a buzz and see what they say.
By Jacqueline Howard
WA travel applications 'streaming in': Commissioner
WA police have urged more than 24,000 people stuck outside of Western Australia to resubmit their G2G applications to re-enter the state ahead of an expansion of the travel exemption rules.
Several callers to ABC Radio Perth this morning said their G2G applications were now suddenly being approved after being repeatedly rejected.
Western Australia currently classifies every other state and territory as an "extreme" COVID risk, meaning exemptions to enter are limited to specific Commonwealth and state employees and 'specialist functions' only.
It has left hundreds of people locked out of WA despite many having family or other close links to the state.
But the exemption rules are set to change on February 5, the original date for the now indefinitely delayed border opening.
The list of exemptions will expand to include returning West Australians with strong recent connections or direct family connections in WA, those returning on compassionate grounds, such as funerals and palliative care, and for urgent or essential medical treatment.
Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said 24,237 people had been asked to re-submit their G2G applications.
"And as I say, we've already had 10,000 already apply and they're streaming in at the moment," Mr Dawson said.
"And over the next week, we'll do this as efficiently as we can."
Lyndal Malarkey is currently in Melbourne and has been trying to get home to Perth for more than a year.
She said her mother had cancer last year and she was desperate to get back in, but her applications were knocked back 10 times.
This morning it was approved.
"I got on straight away this morning as soon as they updated the system, put in my G2G, as all my family live in Perth and we're relocating and it got approved," she told ABC Radio Perth.
"So, I'm over the moon.
"I was shocked and thrilled to get such a fast response."
Ms Malarkey and other people whose G2G passes were approved would still be required to isolate for 14 days on arrival.
They must also be triple vaccinated or have had a double dose if not eligible for the booster, unless they have a medical exemption.
They will also have to show proof of a negative rapid antigen or PCR test within 24 hours of departure.
By Jacqueline Howard
Victorian Health Minister defends keeping Code Brown in place
Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley was asked about whether the state’s Code Brown on major hospitals still needed to be in place, given the state appears to be past its peak of COVID-19 hospitalisations.
“Yes, it would appear that the peak has been passed,” Mr Foley said.
“But we have just seen a million kids return to schools yesterday, we are seeing higher levels of movement around the community.
“We hope that the trends will continue on, every indication is that that is the case, but the system-wide stresses on our hospital networks still should not be underestimated.”
He said the Code Brown had played a “real, important role” in reducing that strain on the system, suggesting it needed to remain in place.
By Alexis Moran
WA records 13 new local cases
The source of five of the new cases is unclear, with investigations underway.
The other eight are linked to known clusters.
By Alexis Moran
The PM says he 'wished' he asked the defence force to run the COVID vaccine program from the beginning of the pandemic
Australia's rollout was riddled with problems in the early months and was initially managed by the Health Department.
Changing health advice and lack of supply were some of the issues.
Scott Morrison has told the National Press Club with hindsight, he would have handled it differently.
"If I had my time over, I would have put it under a military operation from the outset and not later in the year," he said.
"As we went through those early months and we had the challenges that we have with the Health Department and us dealing with many, many issues, I took the decision to send in General Frewen and change the way we did it, and it worked."
By Alexis Moran
Victorian councils are postponing health checks for babies older than two months
It's because of the ongoing pressure on the state's health care system.
From now until March 11, only newborns and children with additional needs will be seen by a maternal and child health nurse for a regular check-up.
The move is expected to free staff to be used in other parts of the system.
Councils are telling families to contact additional supports if they need to.
The Health Minister, Martin Foley, says it's only temporary.
"When we come off this wave that will be one of the priority areas of making sure those areas of deferred care are being reprioritised as quickly as possible."
By Alexis Moran
Tasmania has the highest ambulance response times in the country, new data shows
New figures released by the productivity commission show Tasmania has the highest ambulance response times in the country
In 2020-21 in Tasmania, the first responding ambulance arrived at the scene of an emergency within 33.4 minutes.
The time increased by more than one minute from the previous year.
The next highest response time was South Australia with 32.8 minutes.
By Alexis Moran
NT government 'considering' Maningrida lock-in
An outdoor mask mandate is in place across the NT until 6pm on Saturday.
NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles said the government was "considering" a lock-in for the East Arnhem community of Maningrida after "a number of cases" were reported in the area overnight.
"To the residents of Maningrida, please stay calm," she said.
"We're getting public health advice based off this increase in cases and we'll provide information shortly."
Lajamanu and surrounding homelands entered a seven-day lock-in on Monday.
During a lock-in, residents can move freely within the area but are not able to leave unless it is for an authorised reason.
