Today's national cabinet meeting has finished with no change to essential workers or isolation requirements despite calls from retailers.
States and territories say they expect an increase in COVID-19 cases when school surveillance testing begins.
Catch up on all of Thursday's updates in the blog below.
Key events
- National cabinet has wrapped up with no change on the list of essential workers
- NT: 626 new cases recorded, 95 people in hospital
- Link to yesterday's blog
- What to expect from national cabinet today
- ACT: 884 new cases, 73 people in hospital, 4 in ICU
- SA: 1,953 new cases recorded, 288 in hospital, 27 in ICU
- NSW press conference announced for 10am AEDT
- NSW: 17,316 new cases recorded and 29 deaths to 8pm yesterday
Live updates
By Michael Doyle
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: 17,316 new cases, 2,722 people in hospital, 181 in ICU, 29 deaths. Watch the press conference here
VIC: 13,755 new cases, 1,057 people in hospital, 117 in ICU, 15 deaths. Watch the press conference here
SA: 1,953 new cases, 288 people in hospital, 27 in ICU. 13 deaths Watch the press conference here
TAS: 726 new cases, 24 people in hospital. Watch the press conference here
QLD: 11,600 new cases, 829 people in hospital, 48 in ICU, 15 deaths. Watch the press conference here
ACT: 884 new cases, 73 people in hospital, 4 in ICU.
NT: 626 new cases, 95 people in hospital, four in ICU.
WA: 12 new cases, two people in hospital, one in ICU
By Michael Doyle
That is all for the blog today
We have been given our cue to close the blog.
It has been another big day of news and press conferences.
I now have an afternoon and evening of sports to enjoy.
You can join me reading the Australian Open blog with Paul Johnson and the women's Ashes blog with Dean Bilton.
Until next time, stay safe and be well.
By Michael Doyle
WA: There are two cases in hospital, one in ICU
By Michael Doyle
WA: 12 new cases of COVID-19 recorded
There are 10 local cases and two detected in travellers who are in quarantine.
By Michael Doyle
New COVID cases among Winter Olympics staff
Chinese organisers have announced 23 new cases of COVID-19 among Beijing Winter Olympics Games personnel.
Of the 23 cases, 15 were new arrivals at the airport while the other eight were found inside the organisers' closed Olympic Village bubble — designed to keep the games COVID free.
Beijing's Winter Olympics begin next Friday amid even tighter lockdowns across China as the country battles an Omicron outbreak.
By Michael Doyle
West Coast and St Kilda AFLW clash postponed
West Coast's round four AFLW clash with Saint Kilda, scheduled for Friday night, has been postponed.
The decision follows several Eagles players testing positive for COVID-19.
The league is yet to announce a new date for the match.
By Michael Doyle
National cabinet has wrapped up with no change on the list of essential workers
National Cabinet has wrapped, with no change to the list of essential workers or isolation requirements for now, despite calls from retailers.
Leaders of the states and territories reportedly told the national cabinet meeting they expected to see an increase in reported case numbers when school surveillance testing began, but all were seeing pressure on hospital wards ease.
There was also agreement between the states that they were facing difficulties driving Indigenous vaccination rates due to misinformation among some communities.
The Prime Minister highlighted the need for continued focus on vaccinations, pointing to health experts expecting a rise in cases heading into winter and risks being compounded by the flu season.
National cabinet will meet again in a fortnight.
By political reporter Jake Evans
By Michael Doyle
VIC: Premier gives strongest indication yet three doses will be needed to be classified as fully vaccinated
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has given his strongest indication yet that people will be required to have had three doses of a COVID shot to be considered fully vaccinated.
The issue will be discussed at national cabinet this afternoon.
This morning Mr Andrews indicated it was likely that the vaccinated economy — the rules barring unvaccinated patrons from certain places — would be extended to those that have had the booster.
"Where it was two to get your green tick, it will be three," he said.
Thirty-five per cent of Victorian adults have had their extra dose, which is increasing by about 1 per cent every day.
Reporting by Richard Willingham.
By Michael Doyle
SA: South Australia has confirmed 13 deaths in the latest reporting period
By Michael Doyle
The link to the Victoria press conference is back
Thank you for fixing vic press conf link
-Neeta
Hello my Victorian friends.
I saw all of your comments about the YouTube press conference link being faulty.
We had some annoying difficulties once the press conference had finished.
But we have some excellent people who work on the video desk here at the ABC who have worked feverishly to get that link working again.
By Michael Doyle
NT: 626 new cases recorded, 95 people in hospital
The Northern Territory has recorded 626 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday.
95 people are in hospital, including 15 people receiving oxygen, and four people are in intensive care.
442 of the positive results came from rapid antigen tests, and 184 from PCR tests.
NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles said yesterday's case numbers were being adjusted after 278 additional rapid tests were processed, taking the total cases from 492 to the revised total of 778.
Minister Fyles said said a man who was in the early stages of COVID-19 had died from a cardiac arrest in Tennant Creek Hospital. However, she said it was not being recorded as a COVID death.
By Michael Doyle
TAS: Teachers' union remains concerned
The Tasmanian branch of the Australian Education Union is calling for the state government to reconsider its back-to-school plan, which the union said was "under-developed".
The union's David Genford told ABC Radio Hobart he remained concerned for teachers and other staff members.
"Our focus has been on ventilation, masks, and when a staff member becomes a close contact," Mr Genford said.
Mr Gutwein said the state government would be "engaging" with the education union and the public sector union on Thursday afternoon.
Mr Gutwein said every student would be given a back-to-school pack, including two rapid antigen tests, masks and COVID safety information.
He said schools and early learning centres would also receive an ongoing supply of RATs and masks.
"People should use these [rapid antigen tests] in the same way that we currently apply tests at the moment — if you are symptomatic or a close contact … then these tests should be used."
Mr Gutwein also said schools were "well prepared" for students to return.
"Learning spaces will be well ventilated with outdoor learning spaces optimised," he said.
He also responded to concerns about teachers being granted exemptions from being classified as a close contact.
"This will only occur if it is deemed essential by the school and the teacher is obviously not symptomatic, and [they are] comfortable to return to work."
Face masks will continue to be an important part of Tasmania's response to COVID-19.
Public Health director Mark Veitch said: "We'd want to see a further drop in cases before I think I would recommend we take masks off".
Meanwhile, a kids' play centre at Kingston, south of Hobart, will close following a spate of cancellations.
Parklife Play Centre manager Aleisha Miranda said people were worried about catching COVID-19.
"I've had just a significant number of people drop off with parties," Ms Miranda told ABC Radio Hobart.
By Michael Doyle
TAS: Government to review Check In Tas app
The Tasmanian government says it's reviewing the use of the Check In Tas app across the state.
Currently, those aged over 16 are required by law to check in when they enter every indoor venue, business and large public gathering in Tasmania.
However, with the government abandoning the listing of exposure sites on their website, Premier Peter Gutwein says they're looking into the app.
"A review is underway to determine whether the app should remain in place only for certain high risk settings, such as aged care, hospitals, large mass-gatherings, festivals etcetera," he said.
By Michael Doyle
NSW: Premier says students not expected to get tested before school returns
Dominic Perrottet says children are not expected to be tested for COVID before day one of school this year.
He says around 80 per cent of schools have received their rapid antigen testing kits, as a massive distribution operation continues.
Some independent schools have already resumed, with public schools starting next week.
Mr Perrottet says it was never expected tests would start on the first day of term one.
"As we said from the outset, those tests don't need to be done on day one," he said.
By Michael Doyle
WA: Premier says suppressing Omicron as residents get booster shots is important
By Michael Doyle
VIC: Kids are eligible to get COVID vaccine without an appointment
Victorian children aged between five and 11 years old will now be eligible to receive the paediatric COVID vaccine without a booking at state-run vaccination clinics.
Initial walk-up locations for children will include Dandenong Plaza, Caroline Springs, Sunshine Hospital and Campbellfield Ford Complex.
There will also be 15 school pop-ups opening at primary schools across Victoria this weekend, ahead of next week's return to class.
Premier Daniel Andrews says more than 212,000 children aged between five and 11 have received a dose — or nearly 37 per cent of that age group.
"There's something like 15,500 kids that are booked in to receive their first dose over the next seven days but there are something like 82,000 appointments that are available over the next 30 days," he said.
"These numbers are strong, they're building, but we really do need to do even better."
By Michael Doyle
Link to yesterday's blog
Want to catch up on some information from yesterday?
Want to see how well I performed on the blog?
Catch up on all of the news as it happened on January 26 by clicking here for Wednesday's blog.
By Michael Doyle
NSW: Health Minister says booster numbers are not where they need to be
The NSW Health Minister says the number of people getting a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot isn't good enough as hundreds of thousands of appointments go to waste.
NSW today reported 29 COVID-19 deaths, while the number of people admitted to hospital with the virus continued to stabilise.
There are 2,722 people with the virus in the state's hospitals, with 181 in intensive care and 72 on ventilators.
Over 36 per cent of eligible people in NSW have had their third COVID-19 jab but Health Minister Brad Hazzard said that was not high enough.
"The numbers of boosters are not where we need them to be to keep people safe," Mr Hazzard said.
"In [the Royal North Shore Hospital] today, there are seven people in ICU and not one of them has had the booster."
Reporting by Paige Cockburn
By Michael Doyle
Boris Johnson rejects calls to resign over Downing Street parties during lockdown
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he won't resign after a series of alleged lockdown-breaking parties at his Downing Street office and residence.
Answering questions in parliament, Mr Johnson was accused by Opposition Leader Sir Keir Starmer of changing his story over the gatherings and was asked whether he would now step down.
"No," Mr Johnson replied.
Mr Johnson did agree that ministers who knowingly mislead parliament should step down.
The British PM is at the centre of allegations that he and his staff flouted restrictions — that they imposed on the country in 2020 and 2021 to curb the spread of COVID-19 — with "bring your own booze" office parties, birthday celebrations and "wine time Fridays".
Mr Johnson has apologised for attending one "bring your own booze" event in the garden of his Downing Street offices in May 2020, but said he had considered it a work gathering that fell within the rules.
By Michael Doyle
What to expect from national cabinet today
Issues in the retail sector are expected to dominate the conversation later today.
Pressure on hospitals will be another topic expected to be covered by our nation's leaders.
Matthew Doran has previewed today's meeting with this piece which you can read here.
