NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT have recorded almost 20,000 new COVID-19 cases along with 11 deaths, as the national toll since the start of the pandemic approaches 7000 fatalities.
Some 6981 Australian lives have been lost to coronavirus, with data still to be reported in other states and territories on Sunday.
Almost 42,000 new cases and 44 deaths were announced across the country on Saturday.
There are still more than 370,000 active cases of COVID-19 nationwide, with more than 3000 patients in hospital care and around 130 of them in ICUs.
Meanwhile, seven-day isolation for close contacts is no longer mandatory in NSW and Victoria, while Queensland is moving to scrap quarantine for unvaccinated international arrivals by Thursday.
In the ACT, household contact quarantine rules will be ditched after Anzac Day.
South Australia will drop the requirement for close contact isolation from April 30 but five rapid antigen tests over seven days will apply.
Masks will also be required outside the home, high-risk settings like aged care centres will be off limits and employers and schools will need proof of status.
Vaccination status and check-in requirements for social and sporting venues are being wound back in Victoria although mandates for workers in multiple industries have been retained.
NSW is shifting to a risk assessment model, with household contacts of positive cases no longer needing to isolate for seven days, so long as they continue to test negative.
They should still work from home where possible and avoid high-risk settings.
The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee says it would be appropriate to drop some stricter restrictions once the current wave of infections has peaked.
However authorities also warn infection rates may spike as restrictions ease.
Omicron cases are plateauing in NSW, with a steady decline in infections among the young.
The state’s health surveillance report for the week ending April 16 also shows unvaccinated people are still over-represented in hospital admissions.
To mark the start of World Immunisation Week on Sunday, Australian pharmacists are being praised for their role in the national COVID-19 vaccine program after administering more than 6.8 million doses.
However Pharmaceutical Society of Australia president Chris Freeman says barriers to access remain and the next government should prioritise more vaccine subsidies for pharmacists under the National Immunisation Program.
“Only a small selection of vaccinations are available from pharmacists and there are still restrictions on the age and location they can be administered,” Associate Professor Freeman said.
“We need to ensure all vaccinations are available, when and where people need them.”
LATEST 24-HOUR COVID-19 DATA FROM ACROSS AUSTRALIA:
NSW: 11,107 cases, eight deaths, 1588 in hospital, 64 in ICU
Victoria: 7104 cases, two deaths, 438 in hospital, 33 in ICU
ACT: 725 cases, no deaths, 58 in hospital, three in ICU
Tasmania: 936 cases, one death, 49 in hospital, one in ICU.
