On Tuesday, Australia reported at least 46 COVID-19 deaths, including 16 in Victoria, 14 in New South Wales (NSW) and 11 in Queensland.
The number of people with COVID-19 in hospitals continues to grow across Australian states and territories.
Tasmania saw the sharpest rise in the number of new infections. It reported 1,588 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday compared with 1,094 on Monday.
Queensland reported 710 people with COVID-19 in hospitals on Tuesday compared with 598 on Monday. It is also the state's highest number of hospitalisations in the past four months.
Check the latest COVID-19 trends for new cases, hospitalisations and deaths in Australia .
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said it's "crazy" to skip the COVID-19 vaccination as the new "pesky little variants" (BA.4 and BA.5) can infect people who have already been sick with coronavirus.
He admitted that vaccines are not stopping the transmission, but booster shots can protect against serious illness.
“If you have had two (doses), or one, and you don’t have number three, to put it bluntly, you’re crazy," he said.
Mr Hazzard advised residents to take basic measures such as washing hands frequently, wearing face masks in public, and staying at home if unwell.
He said 56 per cent (1,232) of COVID-related deaths this year were in people who have had two or fewer doses. He said the state was at the beginning of the third wave of Omicron, which is likely to peak in late July or early August.
Australia's top vaccination advisory committee is meeting today amidst a growing call for a fourth vaccine dose for healthcare workers and others.
Victoria's Premier Dan Andrews said it will not be easier for ATAGI to recommend the fourth vaccine dose when Australians could have a new Omicron-specific vaccine in coming months.
Mr Andrews said the current pressure on the state health system is acute. He made a strong case for the fourth vaccine dose for healthcare workers.
Some states and territories are weighing up whether to re-introduce face mask rules amidst growing numbers of new infections, hospitalisations and deaths.
South Australia and NSW are asking the federal government to ease eligibility rules for COVID-19 medications.
Currently, anti-viral treatments are available to the elderly, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 or over with two other risk factors and people aged 18 or older who are moderate to severely immunocompromised.
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