On Tuesday, Australia reported at least 70 COVID-19 deaths, including 40 in New South Wales (NSW), 19 in Queensland and 11 in Victoria. Also, Western Australia reported four historical deaths.
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) continues to record its highest number of hospitalisations since the pandemic began. It reported 121 people with COVID-19 in hospitals compared with 119 on Monday.
ACT health authorities are investigating a COVID-19 outbreak in a cancer ward at Canberra Hospital. The ward has been closed to new admissions until the outbreak is contained.
Check the latest COVID-19 trends for new cases, hospitalisations and deaths in Australia here.
Chief Health Officer John Gerrard told ABC that a new wave is hitting the state with a rise in BA.5 and BA.4 cases. He said BA.5 and BA.4 constituted 38 per cent of new cases compared with under 2 per cent four weeks ago.
He urged eligible residents to take their third and fourth booster dose as hospitalisations are expected to rise further. He also asked Queenslanders to check their eligibility for COVID-19 anti-viral medications.
A study by National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCRIS) showed a booster or third COVID-19 vaccine dose provides 65 per cent greater protection against hospitalisations or death from Omicron than two vaccine doses.
The study was conducted at the peak of the Omicron wave in January and February 2022 in Australia.
The 2021 Census result on Tuesday showed a decline in the arrivals of new migrants during the 2020 and 2021 pandemic years.
Data showed that 165,000 people arrived in the country in 2020 and 2021, compared with more than 850,000 people between 2017 and 2019.
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