COVID-19 Update: Cases rise across Australia as national cabinet mulls rapid test plan

This is your update on the Coronavirus in Australia for January 5, 2022.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet speaks health workers during a visit to the South Western Sydney Vaccination Centre in Sydney, Wednesday, January 5, 2022. Source: Credit: AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi

• NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has admitted there is "substantial pressure" on the NSW health system after the state recorded 35,054 new cases and eight deaths. 
  
  
• In NSW, the number of people admitted to hospital has risen to 1,491, up from 1,344 on Tuesday. There are currently 119 people being treated for the virus in ICU. 
  
  
• Perrottet asked the 2.5 million people who are now eligible for a booster shot to book their appointments today. 
  
  
• The NSW premier said they are working on plans to get kids back in the classroom on the first day of term. Perrottet says rapid antigen tests (RATs) will play an important part when school returns.
  
  
• Rapid antigen tests would be subsidised for people on low incomes under a plan being taken to the next national cabinet meeting by the prime minister.
  
  
• South Australia Premier Steven Marshall said the state would change its close contact testing protocols from PCR tests to RATs in the coming days.
  
  
• Ambulance Victoria was forced to declare a “code red” overnight after experiencing an overwhelming demand for its services across greater Melbourne. 
  
  
• In Victoria, there were 591 people in Victorian hospitals with COVID-19 on Wednesday.  
  
  
• South African Medical Association chair Angelique Coetzee says Omicron is less severe, with the number of people sick with the new strain in intensive care drastically lower than those who suffered Delta last year.
  
  
• The US has recorded one million COVID-19 cases in one day, setting a new global record. 
  
  

COVID-19 Stats:

New South Wales has recorded 35,054 new COVID-19 cases and eight deaths, while Victoria has reported 17,636 new infections and 11 deaths.

Queensland has recorded 6,781 new cases, while South Australia has reported 3,493 infections. 

The ACT has reported 810 cases, while 867 infections have been recorded in Tasmania. 

For measures currently in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in your language, visit here.

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Quarantine and restrictions state by state

Find out what you can and can't do in your state or territory

Travel

Information for international travellers and Covid-19 and travel information in language

Financial help

There are changes to the COVID-19 Disaster Payment once states reach 70 and 80 per cent fully vaccinated:  Getting help during Covid-19 from Services Australia in language

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• News and information over 60 languages at sbs.com.au/coronavirus
• Relevant guidelines for your state or territory: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, ACT, Tasmania.  
• Information about the COVID-19 vaccine in your language.

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Visit the translated resources published by NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service

COVID-19 Vaccination Glossary

Appointment Reminder Tool.

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Testing clinics in each state and territory

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