More than 23,000 new COVID-19 infections have been recorded across Australia’s eastern states along with 17 virus-related deaths.
With data still to be reported in four states and territories on Sunday, almost 2800 patients were under hospital care around the country, over a hundred of them in ICUs.
Of nearly 380,000 active coronavirus cases Australia-wide, almost 80 per cent are in NSW (133,000), Western Australia (91,000) and Victoria (75,000).
There were 47,000 new cases and 45 deaths reported nationally on Saturday.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of voters with the virus were able to vote by phone in Saturday’s federal election after the option was extended to them at the eleventh hour.
Under original plans, anyone stuck in isolation who tested positive before 6pm on Tuesday was limited to voting via post.
But many missed Wednesday’s application deadline and it was extended to anyone who tested positive after 6pm on May 13.
Meanwhile, the Therapeutic Goods Administration has fined a NSW person for importing thousands of prescription-only medications used to treat COVID-19 against clinical advice.
The TGA says they did not have authority, an exemption or a valid prescription.
It is alleged more than 2500 ivermectin tablets and nearly 10,000 doxycycline capsules were brought into the country in a month, far more than allowed.
The accused importer has been fined almost $40,000.
The TGA has previously warned against self-medicating with counterfeit ivermectin, while a UK study last year showed doxycycline, an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections, was ineffective against COVID.
LATEST 24-HOUR COVID-19 DATA:
NSW: 8523 cases, seven deaths, 1165 in hospital with 36 in ICU
Victoria: 9307 cases, 10 deaths, 541 in hospital with 29 in ICU
ACT: 758 cases, no deaths, 92 in hospital, four in ICU
Queensland: 4504 cases, no deaths, 432 in hospital, 17 in ICU
