Australia has recorded a further 16 COVID-19-related deaths on Friday as experts forecast the current wave of infection to peak around mid-April in many areas around the country.
NSW recorded two deaths, while there were six fatalities in Victoria, three in Queensland, and one in the ACT.
A child under five was one of two people to die with the virus in South Australia in the latest reporting period, along with a woman in her 80s. Two historical deaths were recorded in Western Australia.
Another 25,495 COVID-19 infections were recorded in NSW, with 10,424 new cases in Victoria, 10,722 in Queensland, 8,731 in WA, 5,134 in SA, 2,108 in Tasmania, 1,014 in the ACT and 458 in the Northern Territory.
Some 1,345 patients with COVID-19 are in NSW hospitals including 43 in intensive care units (ICU); 310 people are hospitalised in Victoria including 12 in ICU; 416 patients in Queensland hospitals have COVID-19, including 14 in ICU.
In WA, there are 211 people in hospital, including seven in ICU; 169 people are hospitalised in South Australia, including seven in ICU; and 46 people with the virus are hospitalised in the ACT.
The Northern Territory reported 19 patients in hospital including three in ICU, and there are 30 people with the virus in Tasmanian hospitals.
Australia's COVID-19 infections are continuing to surge due to a sub-variant of the Omicron strain known as BA.2, as health authorities warned cases won't peak until mid-April.
Despite daily case numbers reaching levels experienced during the height of the Omicron wave this summer, some states have moved to ease restrictions.
In Queensland, people who have recently recovered from the virus will now be considered a "cleared case", and will not have to go into isolation, even if they are deemed a close contact or experience symptoms.
Vaccination mandates have been removed for transport workers and those in the education sector in SA following staff shortages.
As cases in Western Australia reach record levels, capacity limits on venues in the state have also been eased.
On Thursday, more than 59,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported across the country, which also saw one of the highest daily fatality counts in recent weeks with 32 deaths.
It comes as figures reported to the Australian Health Protection Principal (AHPP) Committee noted the number of daily COVID-19 cases increased by more than 76 per cent between 11 March and 23 March, while hospitalisations from the virus rose by almost 25 per cent in the same time period.
However, in the two-week period, deaths were down by seven per cent, and the number of patients in ICU had decreased by five per cent nationally.
In a statement, the AHPP committee said the increase was driven by a more transmissible sub-variant of Omicron.
"These trends are aligned with the experience reported internationally," the statement said.
"We also note forecasting which suggests this current wave will peak around mid-April in many jurisdictions."
The committee also warned of challenges to the country's health system ahead of winter, when a further surge of coronavirus cases is expected.
"These challenges are likely to be offset by increasing population-level immunity from vaccination and natural infection and the availability of treatments, which will likely mitigate against high hospital demand," the committee said.
"COVID-19 and influenza-related absenteeism in the health system will likely be significant."
