Coronavirus
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Here's a quick wrap of the COVID-19 news and case numbers from each Australian jurisdiction for the past week, as reported on Friday, December 16, 2022.
The states and territories are now reporting their COVID-19 statistics weekly instead of through the daily updates that were provided from the early days of the pandemic.
This story will be updated throughout the day, so if you do not see your state or territory check back later.
You can jump to the COVID-19 information you want to read by clicking below.
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The state has recorded 74 more COVID-19 deaths, up from 48 last week.
There are 40,695 new cases, a slight increase from 40,194 cases last week.
There are 1,606 people with COVID-19 in hospital, of whom 37 are in intensive care.
Victoria has reported 24,652 new cases in seven days, down from 27,790 cases last week.
Unlike other states, Victoria records its hospitalisations and intensive-care admissions with a seven-day rolling daily average.
The state averaged 675 daily hospitalisations and 26 daily intensive care admissions.
There were also 84 deaths reported in the past seven days, down from 87 last week. The Department of Health notes not all COVID-19 deaths occur in the week in which they are reported.
Queensland has reported 16,600 new cases of COVID-19, up from 13,632 cases last week.
The state has confirmed 33 deaths in the latest reporting period.
As of December 14, there were 515 people in hospital with the virus, including eight in intensive care.
The ACT has reported 3,018 new cases this week, up from 2,610 cases last week.
The territory has 81 active cases in hospital. None of them require intensive-care support.
One death was reported this week.
There have been 10,754 new cases of COVID-19 reported in South Australia in the past week — 768 more cases than in the week prior.
SA Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier had previously said she hoped the state would be "down the other side of the wave well before Christmas", but the latest figures indicate the state has not yet passed the peak.
Twenty-one COVID-linked deaths of people ranging in age from their 50s to 90s were recorded in the past week.
There are 187 people with COVID-19 in hospital, including 10 in ICU.
SA Health also announced today that some PCR testing sites would stay open for longer than previously planned.
Authorities had announced that PCR sites would close on January 8, but they today said that due to extended federal government funding, three metropolitan and all regional sites would remain open until at least the end of January.
Western Australia has reported 11,624 new COVID-19 cases, down from 12,383 cases last week.
The state said there were 242 people with COVID-19 in hospital, including 12 in intensive care.
Western Australia has reported 12 deaths dating back to November 2, 2022, which were reported in the last week.
The Top End has recorded 831 new COVID-19 cases in the past week, up from 827 last week.
There are 31 people hospitalised with COVID-19 in the territory, which is two less than last week.
One new death has been reported.
Tasmania has reported 4,045 new cases this week, up from 4,030 last week.
There are 88 people with COVID-19 in hospital, including two in intensive care.
Seven new deaths have been reported.
The Department of Health has been forced to clarify a plan that said COVID-19 PCR testing would require a medical referral from January next year, saying testing will remain "largely the same".
New estimates show COVID-19 has been responsible for approximately 14.83 million excess deaths worldwide, up to three times more than previously reported.
Critical care nurses who were at the frontline of the COVID pandemic say the labels makes them feel like "political pawns" who do not need better working conditions.
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