New South Wales today reported 30 Covid-19 deaths, while Victoria has recorded the deaths of 20 more people with the virus.
Photo: AFP
In New South Wales a total of 20,148 new cases were reported (8566 rapid antigen tests, 11,582 PCR) in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday.
The number of people with the virus in the state's hospitals increased to 2762, while ICU admissions were down slightly, to 204.
The state's latest vaccination figures show 95.3 percent of those aged 16 and over have had one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, while 93.9 percent have had two jabs.
Just over 24 percent of children aged 5-11 have had one dose of a vaccine.
On Wednesday, the rules were changed to allow NSW residents to access a Covid-19 vaccine booster jab three months after their second dose.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet today urged the community to book in for a vaccine booster, or third dose of the vaccine.
"Let's keep this effort going, this effort has kept this state safe during the last period of time and will keep us safe going forward," he said.
"I know that many people have gone away on holidays and are now back. Well, come back and book your booster."
Victoria records 20 deaths, drop in hospitalisations
Victoria has recorded the deaths of 20 more people with Covid-19.
The number of people hospitalised after contracting the virus has fallen to 1029, down from 1096 reported on Friday.
Of the patients in hospital, 120 are receiving intensive care, including 39 people on ventilators.
There are now at least 217,505 active cases of Covid-19 across the state.
There were officially 16,016 new infections recorded yesterday, continuing a downward trend in daily case numbers. However, the real number of cases in the community could be much higher.
The new cases were detected from 8432 PCR results and 7584 at-home rapid antigen tests (RATs).
About 29 percent of Victorians adults have received three doses of a vaccine, a number which is expected to rise during a "booster blitz" being run at state centres over the weekend.
Retired teachers called on to fill staff shortages
The Victorian government is calling on inactive or retired teachers, education support staff, principals and staff with administrative experience to return to work when the school year begins.
As schools prepare for term one, plans are being put in place to ensure staff shortages due to Covid-19 do not disrupt student learning.
A school "job opportunity pool" will allow staff to be deployed to schools on a fixed-term basis, to fill any short-term gaps caused by teachers or staff who contract the virus and need to isolate.
Government schools will have access to the pool to assist with their daily operations.
The states and territories agreed to go their own way with school reopening plans after failing to reach a consensus at Thursday's National Cabinet meeting.
A large portion of recorded coronavirus outbreaks were linked to schools and childcare settings at the end of 2021.
Teachers are now exempt from close contact quarantine requirements, and it has been confirmed students will not have to isolate for seven days if they are exposed in the classroom.
- ABC
