Australia recorded another 40 COVID-19-related deaths on Tuesday while Victoria's household close contact rules and vaccination requirements could soon be scrapped as it experiences the peak of the Omicron variant.
Victoria recorded 12 deaths; there were 11 in NSW; six in Queensland; six in South Australia, and two in Tasmania on Tuesday.
Western Australia recorded three historical COVID-19 deaths dating back to last Wednesday.
The figures are a sharp rise from Monday's numbers, where five people died with the virus around the country.
Meanwhile, Victorians will need to be double-vaccinated to go on a cruise ship holiday.
Under the protocols announced by the state government on Tuesday, all passengers aged 12 and over will need to have two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, while crew members will need to have three.
Passengers will also need to have a negative test before embarking and a negative PCR test if they are symptomatic when boarding and wear masks when embarking and disembarking, or when they cannot socially distance indoors.
Crew members will need to take a COVID-19 test every 14 days or when they are symptomatic and wear masks onboard.
The protocols align with rules in NSW and Queensland and come ahead of Australia's cruise ship ban ending later this month.
The Victorian government also confirmed vaccination requirements will not apply to any venue operating as a polling place for the federal election.
Premier Daniel Andrews flagged vaccination and close contact rules could be scrapped across the whole state once peaks.
"To have less rules while the case numbers are going up? That's probably not a smart thing to do," Mr Andrews told reporters on Tuesday.
"But once they start to come off, which we think will be quite soon, we will have those options available to us."
The state recorded 10,293 new COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths, as Victoria's health department confirmed changes to close contact isolation rules for airline staff.
From Tuesday, air transport service workers including pilots, crew, airport security and baggage handlers will be exempt from close contact isolation.
That means workers who have no symptoms and return negative rapid antigen tests can attend work.
Staff will need to take RATs for five days and must continue to follow isolation rules while not at work.
If they develop symptoms or test positive on a RAT, the exemption no longer applies.
NSW scrapped the isolation requirement for close contact airline staff on Monday.
The decision to allow asymptomatic COVID-19 close contacts to return to work comes as travellers continue to face long lines at Melbourne Airport.
The airport's chief executive Lyell Strambi told the ABC that recent days have been the airport's busiest since before the pandemic, thanks to the return of the Australian Grand Prix and the Easter school holidays.
He said close contact isolation rules were contributing to staff shortages and delays.
COVID-19 numbers breakdown
There were 15,334 new COVID-19 cases in NSW, with 1,584 hospitalisations and 70 people in intensive care.
Victoria recorded 10,293 COVID-19 cases with 376 people in hospital and 19 in intensive care.
In Queensland, 7,882 people tested positive for COVID-19, while 572 are hospitalised. There are 16 people in intensive care.
There are 6,348 people in Western Australia who tested positive for the virus. The state recorded that 236 people are in hospital, eight of those in intensive care.
In South Australia, 4,401 people contracted COVID-19, with 232 of those in hospital and 12 in intensive care.
In Tasmania, 2,050 cases have been reported, with 55 people in hospital and three in intensive care.
The Northern Territory reported a further 512 COVID-19 cases. Some 29 people with the virus are hospitalised in the Territory, including one in ICU.
The ACT recorded 923 new COVID-19 cases. Some 61 people with the virus are in hospital, including two in intensive care.
