Western Australia races to contain Perth Covid cluster as Greg Hunt declines to condemn border decision

WA recorded seven new Covid cases on Saturday. There were 20,148 new cases in New South Wales, 16,016 in Victoria and 15,050 in Queensland.

While the WA numbers remain extremely low compared with states where the Omicron variant has spread, concerns are mounting that a more serious outbreak could still take hold despite the decision to keep the state border shut.

In a strongly worded statement, Duncan-Smith called on the WA government to introduce modest restrictions, and to properly prepare the health system and schools for the pandemic.

The federal health minister, Greg Hunt, said on Saturday that he sympathised with families kept apart by the extended WA state border closure, but stopped short of the sort of outright criticism previously levelled at states over hardline border policies.

Queensland has delayed the return of its school year by two weeks; though New South Wales and Victoria are both planning to welcome students back in the coming weeks.

There are 63 people with Covid-19 in hospital in the territory, including six on ventilators and one in intensive care.

The Australian Capital Territory recorded 666 new cases of Covid-19, two-thirds of which were from rapid tests.

There are currently 63 people with Covid in hospital, one person in intensive care, and one ventilated.

The crowd, which was followed by police, assembled at Parliament House around noon and moved along Bourke Street and Flinders Street before stopping at the Victoria Police Centre.

They have recommended supporters attend the online dawn service instead.

The Invasion Day rally is the biggest protest held in Melbourne each year.

A total of 93.3% of Victorians aged 12 and over have had at least two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine. The national vaccine rate for children aged five to 11 receiving their first dose has climbed to 26.5%.

Albanese did not directly answer when asked if he believed the start date for primary schools should be pushed back until there was greater vaccination coverage, saying instead that the Australian government should have moved faster.