COVID-19 update: Waning immunity could drive the next wave, warns a top health officer

This is your update on COVID-19 in Australia for 19 September.

A worker hands out a surgical mask to a passenger at Southern Cross Station in Melbourne. (file) Source: AAP / JOEL CARRETT/AAPIMAGE

Key Points

• Australia to spend an extra $1.4 billion to support COVID-19 measures beyond September
• Victoria issues more than 100 fines to commuters for flouting face mask rules on public transport

On Monday, Health Minister Mark Butler said the Albanese government is spending an extra $1.4 billion to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the current COVID-19 response measures have been extend until 31 December.

Earlier, these measures were scheduled to expire on 30 September.

Of the $1.4 billion, $840 million will be provided for the Aged Care Support Program and $48 million to 100 GP-led respiratory clinics.

Another $235 million will be spent to buy PPE, treatments and RATs for aged care, primary care, disability care, First Nations health services and frontline healthcare workers.

Mr Butler said Australia is seeing a steep decline in COVID-19 cases.

"Since the peak of that wave in late July, case numbers are down by about 85 per cent, hospitalisations are down by about 70 per cent," Mr Butler said.

"The number of aged care facilities who are experiencing outbreaks right now is down by more than three quarters, and the mortality rate is down by more than a half."

Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton tweeted that a second booster or fourth vaccine dose lowers the risk of dying from COVID-19 four times.

He said different or bivalent boosters are now being developed, but the "clear message is (to) get a dose of something! Now."

On Sunday, Mr Sutton said the future COVID-19 waves might not be as severe as the previous ones.

"The coming wave - if that's the term - may be driven more by the waning hybrid immunity (recent infection + vaccination) than by any particular variant. Make no mistake; the variants will come," Mr Sutton tweeted.

AAP reported Victoria has issued more than 100 fines and 181,000 warnings to commuters for not following face mask rules on state's public transport.

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