Australia has recorded another 28 COVID-19-related deaths as industries heavily affected by the pandemic responded with disappointment to Tuesday night's .
NSW reported 15 deaths, with seven recorded in Victoria, five deaths in Queensland and one in Tasmania.
In NSW, a further 25,235 COVID-19 cases were reported and there were 11,749 new infections in Victoria.
In Queensland, there have been 10,626 new cases in the last 24 hours and Tasmania recorded 2,472 new cases - the state's highest daily caseload of the pandemic.
There are 1,301 patients with COVID-19 in NSW hospitals including 46 in intensive care units (ICU). In Victoria, 280 people are in hospital with 18 of those in ICU; 393 patients are in Queensland hospitals with 15 in ICU, and 22 people are hospitalised with two in ICU in Tasmania.
Transport workers have said the federal budget failed to deliver a plan to ensure the recovery and growth of Australia's aviation industry as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Transport Workers Union national assistant secretary Nick McIntosh said there was still plenty of uncertainty in the aviation sector, which has taken a heavy hit from COVID-19.
Transport Workers Union national assistant secretary Nick McIntosh said there's still a lot of uncertainty in the aviation sector, which has been heavily affected by COVID-19.
Tourism & Transport Forum Australia CEO Margy Osmond said while a $9 billion investment in public transport was welcome, the budget was "conspicuous by the absence of any significant new support for the tourism sector" as it seeks to rebuild to pre-COVID levels.
In the ongoing battle against the virus, the aged care sector said after more than 900 deaths due to coronavirus and continuing health risks to staff and residents, the budget "fiddled around the edges" of the crisis in the sector.
The United Workers Union said deaths of aged care residents with COVID-19 highlighted the continuing litany of failures in the sector, with the budget doing nothing to address the crisis.
The budget included $6 billion for a winter response plan, with a combined spike in COVID-19 and influenza infections predicted in the coming months.
A further $1 billion will be spent on extending the vaccine rollout, as people prepare to receive their second booster dose, while $546 million will go towards extending the Medicare Benefits Schedule for pathology items used for COVID testing.
The budget papers showed COVID-19 community transmission is expected to continue, with a predicted new Omicron wave expected to see increased rates of absences from work and school, and put pressure on supply chains.
Intermittent Omicron waves are also predicted beyond winter but high vaccination rates are expected to lessen the impact.
While public health measures such as density limits and physical distancing are likely to be phased out, the budget has forecast such measures could be reimposed in a targeted way as a response to future outbreaks.
