Australia has reported 29 new COVID-19-related deaths as cases begin to increase across the country.
NSW on Friday reported 20,050 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 4pm on Thursday, including 12,355 cases from rapid antigen tests (RATs) and 7,695 from PCR tests.
The number of new cases is only 37 less than recorded on Thursday, when NSW reported 20,087 cases.
New infection numbers appear to have stabilised after a data glitch on Wednesday saw a glut of positive RAT results from Sunday and Monday push the number of positive results to more than 34,000.
Cases are expected to double over the next month as the highly transmissible BA.2 subvariant spreads in the community, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard warned on Wednesday.
BA.2 is expected to become "by far the dominant strain in NSW" within weeks, Acting Chief Health Officer Marianne Gale has said.
About 1,060 people are currently hospitalised with COVID-19, with 32 in ICU, and 15 on ventilators.
Of the six deaths reported on Friday, five were men and one was a woman. Two were in their 70s and 80s and four were in their 90s.
One person had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, three had received two doses and two people had received booster doses.
More than 95 per cent of people aged 16 and over have received a first dose, and 94.5 per cent of those people had two doses as of Wednesday.
Some 83.5 per cent of children aged 12 to 15 have had one dose of a vaccine and 79.1 have had two doses.
In children aged five to 11, 48.6 per cent have had one dose of a vaccine.
In the booster rollout, 57.8 per cent of people 16 and over have had a third dose, representing 61.7 per cent of the eligible population.
Meanwhile, Victoria on Friday registered another 9,036 COVID-19 infections and nine deaths.
Of those infected, 199 are in hospital, with 23 in intensive care and five on ventilators.
Western Australia expands free RAT rollout
Western Australia's COVID-19 daily case numbers have dipped slightly as the state government expands its rollout of free RATs.
The state has recorded 6,176 new infections, taking the number of active cases to 33,101.
There are 134 people with COVID-19 in hospital, including four in ICU.
A further half a million free RATs will be distributed at train stations, shopping centres, major events, universities and TAFEs in coming weeks.
The events include Sunday's West Coast AFL game at Optus Stadium and the Perth Wildcats' NBL game at RAC Arena.
Free tests will also be handed out later this month in parts of regional WA including Broome, Geraldton, Albany and Bunbury, Premier Mark McGowan said in a statement on Friday.
The government has already made 15 free RATs available to each WA household for delivery or collection.
What's happening elsewhere around the country?
Queensland reported 11 further deaths in the past 24 hours, along with 6,103 new cases.
The latest numbers bring total active cases to slightly more than 34,000. The state has 245 people in hospital, including 20 patients in intensive care.
South Australia posted three deaths, including a man in his 20s, and 4,274 new infections.
The state has 136 people in hospital with the virus, including five in intensive care.
Tasmania posted 1,779 new infections on Friday and has 23 people in hospital. Five hospital patients are being treated for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the ACT has 1,123 new cases and 37 people in hospital with the virus, including four in intensive care with one requiring ventilation.
There were 258 new cases in the Northern Territory in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday. Twenty-one people are in hospital, including one in intensive care.
With SBS News.
