Australia news LIVE: Experts say COVID-19 cases in NSW, Victoria may have peaked; concession card holders now eligible for free rapid antigen tests

• Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt have angered retailers by suggesting some businesses are hoarding rapid antigen tests. Australia’s 6.6 million pensioners and concession cardholders are now eligible for 10 free coronavirus rapid antigen test kits from pharmacies over three months under a federal government program that starts today. Up to five free tests can be claimed in one month, with a total of 10 available over the three-month period. But, as Dana Daniel reports, some pharmacies are having difficulties securing the required stock.

• Chief executive of the Australian Retailers Association, Paul Zahra, said: “We reject claims that businesses are hoarding rapid antigen tests. This claim is an unfortunate deflection from the government’s failure to source enough of the testing kits as Omicron cases have peaked in recent weeks. The fact that some businesses took sensible steps to procure rapid antigen tests many months ago is good planning and has no relationship with the government’s supply chain.”
• NSW has recorded 24 deaths and 15,091 COVID-19 cases as the state’s Chief Health Officer said a third dose of a coronavirus vaccine was “essential”, Daniella White reports. Hospitalisations have risen with 2816 people in NSW hospitals with the virus, up from 2712 on Sunday. Of those, 196 are in intensive care units, up from 189. The total number of infections reported today are lower than the 20,324 cases reported on Sunday, but it is common for the number of tests conducted over the weekend to drop. Of the new cases, 6901 were detected from at-home rapid antigen test (RAT) kits and 8190 from PCR tests.

• NSW Chief Health officer Kerry Chant was asked this morning about whether coronavirus vaccine boosters should be mandated. She said she was awaiting advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation but “people should see that third dose as essential”. “Boosters can’t be seen as boosters but almost a requirement. We now know that particularly for the Omicron variant, immunity wanes and you need that higher level of protection and you need to get a booster dose, and we know that it is incredibly strong evidence that a booster dose significantly reduces your risk of hospitalisation and death.”
• Victoria has reported 11,695 official cases of COVID-19 and 17 deaths. Today’s numbers are down on yesterday’s total of 13,091. Of today’s cases, 4488 were positive PCRs and 7207 were from positive self-reported rapid antigen tests. There are 998 people in Victorian hospitals due to the virus. Of those, 119 cases are in intensive care. Today’s hospitalisations are down on yesterday’s 1002 patients (when there were 120 cases in ICU).

• This weekend marked the biggest vaccination weekend in Victoria since last October, Marta Pascual Juanola reports. Premier Daniel Andrews says the booster blitz at state-run clinics over the weekend has increased the percentage of eligible Victorians vaccinated with three doses to 32 per cent. “It’s the biggest weekend we’ve had in many months,” Mr Andrews said. “That growth is steady, it’s great, but we have to do more and we have to do better.” Mr Andrews said authorities would “take this street by street if we have to”. Adults who received their second dose of a coronavirus vaccine at least three months ago are eligible now for a booster shot at state-run vaccination hubs and at GPs and pharmacies from January 31.

• Queensland has reported 13 more COVID deaths and 10,212 new infections, Matt Dennien reports. The figures come from a total of 3615 self-reported rapid antigen tests and 19,926 PCR swabs, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said. Today would have marked the start of the 2022 school year in Queensland. Classes will instead resume on February 7 to avoid opening schools amid the state’s Omicron peak (expected to hit the Gold Coast as early as this week). Year 11 and 12 students will start online learning from home on January 31. Despite the delayed start, the school year will not be extended in December.
• There are 878 people with COVID in Queensland hospitals today, 50 of whom are in intensive care. Queensland Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said he believed the state’s Omicron-driven peak will have less of an impact on hospital systems than first expected. But he said that this was only “the peak, it’s not the end”. “That means that we’ve got very significant transmission in the community at the moment.” He said “people’s changing behaviour in avoiding getting infected” was contributing to the lower-than-expected number of hospitalisations.

• A man in his 40s and a man in his 90s have died in the ACT after contracting COVID-19. The territory recorded 756 new cases of COVID-19 today, 472 of which were from positive PCR swabs and 284 of which were from self-reported rapid antigen tests. There are 68 people in hospital in Canberra with coronavirus (up from 67 yesterday). Of those, three are in intensive care. One is on a ventilator.

• Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt says Australia’s fourth coronavirus vaccine option, Novavax, will be available from the week beginning February 21. “The specific advice of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation is that it will be a two-dose course, with a minimum of three weeks between the first and the second doses,” Mr Hunt said. “It’s a protein-based vaccine [not an mRNA vaccine like Pfizer or Moderna or a viral vector vaccine like AstraZeneca]. For some, who may have had contraindications or reactions with regards to other vaccines, this will provide an additional opportunity for them. As well as those who for whatever reason have not taken up the program so far.”

• The NSW and Victorian governments revealed details of their back-to-school plans on Sunday. You can read more about the NSW plan here and read the Victorian explainer here. Under both plans, primary and secondary school students and staff will take two rapid antigen tests each week for the first four weeks of term one.

This is Michaela Whitbourn signing off on the blog for today. Broede Carmody will be back with you tomorrow morning.

Mr Palmer is suing Mr McGowan over public comments in 2020, including the WA Premier’s claim that the businessman and former federal politician was “the enemy of the state” over his legal challenge to border closures.

In return, Mr McGowan is alleging his reputation was damaged by advertisements Mr Palmer paid for claiming he had “abused the parliamentary system” and lied to the people of WA.

If the application to give evidence remotely is not granted, Mr McGowan is seeking to have the trial rescheduled.

A Federal Court spokesman said as follows:

The application is being made by the WA Premier, Mr McGowan, and WA Attorney General, Mr Quigley, seeking the permission of the Court to give their evidence at the hearing (trial) remotely by way of video because, following the announcement of the Premier on 20 January 2022 of the deferral of a full border opening, if they are required to attend NSW (as previously provided for by the Court), then upon return to WA, they will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Under the plan, pensioners and other concession cardholders are entitled to 10 rapid antigen tests over three months, which can be picked up from pharmacies. Up to five tests may be collected in a month.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said there had been “clear cases” of hoarding rapid antigen tests, including “people that were scooping [them] up to resell at inflated prices.”

However, the business community and rapid test suppliers said there was no hoarding and blamed global supply chain shortages, which many in corporate Australia have been warning of as early as last year.

“We reject claims that businesses are hoarding rapid antigen tests. This claim is an unfortunate deflection from the government’s failure to source enough of the testing kits as Omicron cases have peaked in recent weeks,” said chief executive of the Australian Retailer’s Association Paul Zahra.

Read the full story here.

The hard border was set to be lifted on February 5 but the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant of the virus led health authorities in the state to change their advice. The decision has been criticised by the Australian Medical Association, which says the state has not prepared adequately for a rise in COVID-19 cases.

“NDIS participants can claim rapid antigen tests to ensure their continuity of services.”

The Health and Community Services Union, which represents workers in mental health, disability, and drug and alcohol services, said in a tweet this afternoon that this was “not a solution”.

“This is forcing NDIS participants to cut into their funding, sacrificing potential supports and services to pay for rapid tests. Tests should be free for all.”

The announcement came as the government faced criticism over its scheme offering free rapid antigen tests for pensioners and concession card holders, which got off to a slow start on Monday as many pharmacists scrambled to find enough stock to participate.

The federal government’s announcement follows national cabinet’s agreement on Australian Health Protection Principal Committee guidance regarding the use of rapid antigen testing as an alternative to PCR for disability care workers at high risk of having COVID-19, to manage outbreaks in the sector and for surveillance in areas with high community transmission.

Australia’s 6.6 million pensioners and concession card holders are now eligible for 10 free coronavirus rapid antigen test kits from pharmacies over three months under a federal government program that starts today.

Up to five free tests can be claimed in one month, with a total of 10 available over the three-month period.