Coronavirus case numbers continue to balloon to record levels across the country, with New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland again reporting substantial daily increases.
NSW recorded 12,226 cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday - another jump in infections from Wednesday's 11,201 cases.
There are 746 people in hospital in NSW - 121 more patients than Wednesday's numbers of 625. Sixty-three patients are in intensive care, and 24 of them are on ventilators.
Thursday's increase in case numbers came from about 60,000 fewer test results than on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant warned "there is probably more disease in the community than the numbers reflect" as testing laboratories clear backlogs.
NSW has also recorded one new death - an unvaccinated woman in her 70s who was infected at the Hakea Grove aged care facility where she lived.
As cases rise, Premier Dominic Perrottet continues to point to hospitalisations and deaths as "the most important data to which we must now tailor our responses".
People queue for PCR tests at a clinic at North Ryde in Sydney, Thursday, December 30, 2021. Source: AAP
"A highly vaccinated population demands a new strategy, focused not on cases, but serious health impacts," Mr Perrottet wrote in Nine newspapers on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations are set to go ahead despite the escalating outbreak.
The City of Sydney says five of the six locations for gathering it is managing are sold out, with about 17,000 tickets booked. Tickets are still being sold for 25 other locations.
Masks are encouraged, unvaccinated people are asked to stay home and tickets for viewing spots are limited.
Police will be watching in the crowds and are urging people without tickets or reservations in the CBD to stay away.
Victoria reported 5,137 COVID-19 infections from 81,093 tests on Thursday, an increase from the 3,767 new cases a day earlier.
The state also reported 13 new deaths of people aged in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
Hospitalisations are currently at 395, a decrease from Wednesday's 397. There are 100 people in ICU.
The number of active cases in the state has grown to 23,833.
Multiple testing sites across the state have already closed after reaching capacity by early Thursday morning.
Thousands of people are still expected to come to Melbourne for New Year's Eve events, though the City of Melbourne has cancelled its drone swarm at the Docklands.
City streets will be closed for outdoor dining, families can bring a picnic and there will be alcohol-free zones.
Case numbers have also jumped in Queensland again, where there were 2,222 new cases detected from 35,179 tests.
There are now 8,586 active cases in the state and no people in intensive care, though authorities are bracing for that to change and for cases to climb further.
Chief Health Officer John Gerrard warned on Thursday that the number of infections could be in the "tens of thousands" in the coming weeks.
"But the good thing is the vaccines are working and they have been clearly demonstrated to work. For those people who have not yet received their third dose ... it is critical if you can go out and get that, that third dose of vaccine," he told reporters.
The ACT reported 253 new cases of COVID-19, one more than its previous record high which was recorded on Tuesday.
Tasmania on Thursday reported 92 new COVID-19 cases, including the state's first virus-related hospitalisations since borders reopened a fortnight ago.
The majority of the 386 active cases, 178, are being managed at home. Two cases are in hospital but not intensive care, while another person with the virus remains in hospital for a different medical condition.
South Australia recorded 1,374 new infections and , WA has recorded one new COVID-19 case - an unvaccinated 27-year-old backpacker who may have been infectious in the community and the Northern Territory's COVID-19 case tally has almost doubled with 37 new infections detected.
With AAP.
