Australia Covid news live: NSW reintroduces QR code check-ins; Victoria considers tougher rules as Omicron cases continue to rise | Australia news

3.47pm EST15:47

Covid-19 testing clinics are reducing their openings hours over the Christmas period despite “unprecedented demand” for testing and reports of hours-long wait times in several states.

Guardian Australia analysis shows 77% of the 490 testing sites listed on the New South Wales Health website on Wednesday will either close or operate on reduced hours through the Christmas and New Year period.

It comes amid record Covid cases in NSW and the highest testing numbers in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic.

Victoria reported 92,262 Covid test results on Wednesday, the most ever processed in a 24-hour window.

In Melbourne, overwhelming demand for testing forced at least 14 testing sites across the city to shut as of 9.45am, after reaching capacity.

You can read the full report below:

3.41pm EST15:41

John Frewen has been asked if the hotly anticipated Novavax will be included in the booster program mix. But it seems we will still have a while to wait:

Novavax is still going through the approval process. I know they’re getting closer. We’re looking forward to get Novavax into the mix of available vaccines as well. It won’t be until the new year. I don’t know exactly when.

As soon as Novavax is ready to go, we’ll be delighted to get it out there. I know some people have been holding out for Novavax specifically. It will be part of our arsenal and we look forward to helping people access that vaccine if that’s what they want.

Updated
at 3.52pm EST

3.38pm EST15:38

Lieutenant General John Frewen (the army guy who is in charge of all our vaccines) has defended Australia’s booster rollout:

The booster rollout is proceeding at speed. I think the queues you may be seeing at the moment may be around the testing regime.

We have been hitting record days on boosters. We had almost 2 million people have their boosters over the last few weeks. We adapted very quickly to the Atagi decision to shift from six months to five months. We did that in a matter of days. That decision only happened a little over a week ago.

We’re postured ready to respond if Atagi shifts the medical health advice around the booster recommendations again and supply is absolutely not a concern this time around. We have got more vaccines than will be needed over the months ahead.

Updated
at 3.51pm EST

3.30pm EST15:30

Lane Sainty

Australia’s peak doctors body has criticised an “unethical” proposal to charge unvaccinated people for their medical care that is being considered by the New South Wales government.

The state’s health minister, Brad Hazzard, confirmed the government was looking at forcing people who had not received the jab to pay for their medical bills if they required hospital treatment for Covid.

“This is an option under consideration by the NSW government,” Hazzard said in a statement on Wednesday evening after it was first reported by Sydney radio station 2GB.

The health minister did not provide any further details about how such a plan would work and did not respond to further questions.

You can read the full report from Lane Sainty and Michael McGowan below:

Updated
at 3.43pm EST

3.25pm EST15:25

Good morning everyone, it’s Matilda Boseley here, and Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

As a Christmas treat, I have … well, more Covid-19 news.

Mask regulations are tightening in Queensland cinemas and hospitality venues as Covid-19 case numbers in the state surge into triple figures for the first time.

Queensland reported 186 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, prompting the state government to ramp up the requirement for mask-wearing.

From 5am on Thursday, workers and patrons at theatres and cinemas will be required to wear masks, while staff in hospitality venues such as pubs and restaurants will also have to mask up.

Masks are mandated in supermarkets and shops as well as public transport and rideshares.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk vowed Queensland would stay open despite the rapid increase in Omicron infections:

We want to keep our restaurants and our cafes and everything operating over Christmas and new year.

The rules come as the state on Wednesday hit the 90% threshold for first-dose vaccinations, according to federal government data.

Moving south, it’s expected that mandatory QR code check-ins will be reintroduced in high-risk settings in NSW after an informal national cabinet meeting yesterday.

These rules were scrapped on 15 December but as case numbers in NSW reached 3,700 yesterday, it appears premier Dominic Perrottet has conceded that Omicron may require some backtracking on the rules. We should learn more when he speaks later in the day.

It’s a similar story in Victoria this morning, only this time it’s masks that might be coming back. The acting premier and chief health officer have voiced their support for increased mask-wearing in high-risk settings, so we shall see what the ruling is when they step up later in the day.

Well, there is clearly plenty to get through today, so why don’t we jump right into the day!

Updated
at 3.42pm EST

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