Live: All the coronavirus news you need in the one place

By Peta Fuller

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: 24 deaths and 10,130 new cases.1,795 cases are in hospital with 121 of those in ICU. Press conference here

VIC: 16 deaths and 9,391 new cases. 543 cases are in hospital, 75 of those in ICU and 23 of those are ventilated.

TAS: One death and 637 new cases. 17 people are in hospital with COVID, one is in ICU.

QLD: Press conference at 10.30am Brisbane time.

Let’s dig into the NSW numbers a bit more

So the NSW presser has moved on to the by-elections a bit. Let’s take a look at what we know so far on NSW’s stats today.

Here are the case numbers (just to recap, today was 10,130, down from 10,312 yesterday), showing we’re definitely coming down from the Omicron peak:

There’s still a bit of a wait-and-see approach (we’ve just heard from the NSW presser that they’ll release some more data on how the stats are tracking against their modelling tomorrow). Here’s what the ABC’s Mahnaz Angury said earlier this morning:

It was a bit concerning the past couple of days we’ve seen an increase in case numbers, although it’s down today. It’s still above 10,000, which is a little bit significant. So, we just have to wait and see in the next couple of days if that downward trend continues.

But the seven-day average is below that 10,000 mark (at 9,221.3), which you can see here thanks to the ABC’s numbers man, Casey Briggs:

And the all-important hospitalisation figures, also trending down, from 1,906 in hospital yesterday to 1,795 today:

Quick update on Queensland’s press conference

We’re going to hear from Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Health Minister Yvette D’Ath and Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard in about an hour (so that’s 10:30am Brisbane time).

Will post the link as soon as it’s available.

‘Ignore the social media, it is next to useless, listen to the science’: NSW’s Health Minister on boosters

Brad Hazzard is encouraging people to get their booster as soon as they’re eligible.

He’s also talking about new guidance on hospital visits, which he says was finished yesterday by the department and is being distributed today.

“Care and compassion should always be the overriding guide. Of course, that care and compassion has to extend to the immediate patient… but also care and compassion to the broader hospital community to keep them safe,” he said.

“There’s a balancing act here.”

He says he’s satisfied that guidelines are “as good as they can be for this moment” but there could be changes down the track.

NSW has hit 50 per cent boosted for those eligible

Dominic Perrottet is speaking on those stats.

He says the state is seeing good news on hospitalisation and ICU numbers, adding: “The facts aren’t disputed: that is that boosters save lives, they reduce hospitalisations and ICU presentations.”

Tasmania records one COVID-related death

It takes the total to 10 since the borders reopened to interstate hotspots in December.

There are 637 new COVID cases — that’s up from yesterday’s 574 cases, and active cases have moved slightly higher for the first time this month.

There are 17 people in hospital with COVID, 11 are being treated specifically for coronavirus symptoms.

We’re about to get a COVID update from NSW

Here’s where you can watch it:

Experts saying the flu is ‘worse than COVID’ in children

As health authorities gear up for the first real flu season in three years, experts are particularly worried about the impact on young children.

Infectious disease physicians expect the flu to spike after Australia reopens its international borders to visa holders and fully vaccinated travellers on February 21.

University of Sydney infectious disease expert Robert Booy has predicted Australia will have a “moderate flu season as a minimum” in 2022, triggering concerns about the risk to children.

“Not only have we had two years without flu in the winter, we also had a low vaccine uptake rate in children last year against the flu, so the amount of protection out there in the community is a lot less.”

“I would say that flu in young children is worse than COVID is in young children.”

You can read the full story from Janelle Miles and Sally Eeles here

NSW hospital visit rules to change

They’re designed to “increase visitor access” so there will be a presumption in favour of allowing visits rather than blocking them — so will allow more people to be by the side of a dying loved one. 

Visitors to state hospitals have been restricted since December 16 because of the pandemic, with exemptions only granted for compassionate reasons like childbirth and palliative care. 

The full guidelines set to be announced later today will now allow visits if it is “beneficial for the patient’s emotional or physical wellbeing”. 

Victoria has recorded 16 more COVID deaths

The state has 75 people in ICU, 23 of those ventilated, and 543 cases in hospital (it was 542 yesterday).

There were 9,391 new cases reported.

NSW records another 24 deaths

The hospitalisation figure sits at 1,795 cases with 121 of those in ICU.

There were 10,130 new cases reported in the state.

Taking some questions and comments

Before we get into those important 9am case numbers:

Hm interesting that on the blog you say the UK rules will be replaced with guidelines to self isolate (so the only thing changing is you can’t be arrested for not doing it), but the main news story on the home page says nothing will replace it.

-E

It doesn’t quite say nothing — all legal coronavirus restrictions in England would come to an end a month earlier.

You’re right, that’s the legal restrictions. And our radio report from Europe Correspondent Steve Cannane says this: It’s expected the laws will be replaced with guidance on when to self-isolate.

Which is being pretty widely reported in the UK as well — the BBC says one example of such “guidance” might be people staying home from work if they have COVID. So it doesn’t sound like it’ll be nothing.

Seeing its nashy cab day gives me the same sense of dread, beep test day at school did. Like it’s just not going to go well for many of us who aren’t at the top level of fitness. It’s a great day for those really fit kids who aren’t burdened by the discomfort of not being a sporty kid, or don’t have asthma or might be a little more chunky, you know, those underlying conditions that make it a day you wish you weren’t made to feel less valued.

-Janey

Oh Janey, you’re hitting me with beep test flashbacks.

But seriously, maybe reading this by my excellent colleague Bridget Judd will help you feel less alone: She spoke to lots of people with those often talked about “underlying conditions” and how COVID is impacting them.

I love your blog!!😊😊Do you have a time for the Vic. Govt press conference this morning? Can you report the time as soon as you find out. Many thanks🙏🙏It will be an important press conference today.

-isabella20P

I don’t yet but as soon as I find it, I’ll be sure to pop it in the blog.

International wrap-up: Restrictions edition

There’s a bit of news around on mask mandates and changes to rules overseas. Here we go:

Britain’s PM has announced the last remaining COVID restrictions could be lifted by the end of the month.

Boris Johnson has told the House of Commons that if current data trends in England continue, he will abolish the legal requirement to self-isolate after a positive COVID test within weeks.

What will replace it? Guidelines on when to self-isolate.

(It’s worth noting the original plan was to phase out the restrictions by the end of March — and the opposition says it’s all to dig Mr Johnson out of a political hole caused by the controversy around Downing Street parties.)

In the US, New York will end its mandate requiring face coverings in most indoor public settings, but will keep mask rules in place in schools for now (the Governor says infection rates have declined to a level where it is safe to rescind the order made in December last year, as Omicron surged).

And in Sweden they’ve gone the whole way — scrapping the last of their COVID restrictions.

That means no more limits on how many people may gather at events or in restaurants, vaccine certificates are no longer required and reduced operating hours for bars and eateries have been cancelled.

Yep it’s a National Cabinet day

Is Nashy Cab meeting today?

-Natty

They sure are — and I hear the rest of you keen news-watchers saying, hold up, it’s not Friday yet.

Good spot. It’s early so the PM can go to a meeting with The Quad foreign ministers (that’s the US, India, Japan and Australia).

And here’s a bit of what we know is on the agenda (it’s set for 4pm Canberra time):

• How the health system’s capacity is going as the Omicron wave comes off its peak
• The vaccine rollout and an update on latest evidence around booster efficacy 
• And aged care visitation rights, mainly nationally consistent guidelines to ensure access 

The WHO says it needs $32 billion to end the pandemic this year

Its Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, launched a new program overnight (you can watch it below if you’re keen).

It aims to accelerate global vaccine rollouts, with middle-income countries and development banks targeted for the money this time.

Dr Ghebreyesus says the speed of the global Omicron outbreak shows complacency will prolong the pandemic — and he warned future variants may not be as mild as Omicron.

Cases in aged care popped up yesterday in WA

And the WA Secretary of the United Workers’ Union, Carolyn Smith, says this morning that those working in aged care will be feeling a “collective shiver” at the news.

A resident and a staff member at Juniper’s Cygnet aged care facility in the Perth suburb of Bentley have tested positive.

The resident is in isolation and the facility is closed to visitors.

Ms Smith says she hopes WA has learned from the experiences in the east:

We all hope that because we’ve had a couple more months to prepare that we’re better ready to face the challenges of Omicron in aged care because we have all seen what that’s meant over east and it hasn’t been a good situation.

Good morning!

Plenty of COVID news to get stuck into today – so shake off your sleep-deprived self and let’s get to it.