Australia’s third wave tops 26,000 active cases, but peak is still a week away
There are fears the peak of Australia’s third coronavirus wave has not been reached despite more than 26,000 active cases across the nation.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt says there are signs that Omicron infections have hit a plateau. (AAP Image/Luis Ascui)
Infections in NSW continue to surge with health authorities predicting daily cases will hit a high next week after another 1281 on Monday.
Victoria reached another outbreak-high daily increase of 246 new local cases as Melbourne battles an outbreak.
The federal health department estimates active cases have now surpassed 26,000, with the rapid rise of the Delta variant continuing alongside lockdowns.
Concerns southeast Queensland could be locked down are subsiding after there were no new cases of local transmission in Brisbane.
Canberra, which recorded another 11 cases, continues to lead the nation on vaccination rates with 50 per cent double-dose coverage expected this week.
Nationally, almost 36.43 per cent of population aged 16 and above have been fully vaccinated while 63.16 per cent are covered with a single dose.
Vaccine rollout co-ordinator John Frewen is confident supply issues that dogged the program have been conquered after the first shipment of Pfizer doses from a UK swap deal arrived.
“We’ve got the supply. We’ve got the distribution networks now,” he said.
There are about 9400 places to get vaccinated across Australia with hopes the figure will rise to more than 10,000 in coming weeks.
“Really it all just does come down now to people turning up,” Lieutenant General Frewen said.
Tasmania is the latest state government to signal it may retain hard borders with jurisdictions experiencing coronavirus outbreaks even when high immunisation rates are achieved.
WA and Queensland have drawn the ire of the federal government for cautious approaches to the national reopening plan which has vaccine targets of 70 and 80 per cent.
Modelling underpinning the agreement doesn’t mention state borders, an increasingly controversial subject as jab rates increase.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said vaccination rates needed to increase in WA and Queensland in line with other parts of Australia.
“Vaccination is the best possible protection, as well as sticking with the difficult rules,” he told 2GB radio.
“But there’s a pathway out, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel – that’s what vaccination is. That’s what we’re seeing in different places around the world.”
The national death toll stands at 1044 after five more people succumbed to the disease in NSW.
