Australia Covid update: record cases on Christmas Day as infections surge in SA, NSW and Queensland

Record Covid cases were reported across Australia on Christmas Day as overwhelmed testing clinics were forced to close and tens of thousands of people spent the holiday in isolation.

New South Wales has recorded its highest ever Covid daily caseload, with 6,288 new infections announced on Saturday.

Covid transmission also continued to surge in Victoria, where authorities announced 2,108 new Covid-19 infections and six deaths from the virus.

The Australian Capital Territory also set a new daily infection record, with 142 Covid cases. It was the fourth consecutive day that the ACT broke its daily infection rate.

Tasmania recorded 33 new Covid cases, while health authorities in the Northern Territory announced 19 new cases, 10 of which were travellers from interstate.

Western Australia reported two new cases, following the five cases that were announced on Friday. Both of the new cases were linked to a French backpacker who arrived in the state from Queensland on Sunday.

There are now more than 30,000 active Covid cases in NSW and more than 17,000 in Victoria, with isolation orders wreaking havoc on Christmas gathering plans, while testing delays and Covid exposure among airline staff have stymied travel plans of thousands of travellers.