Latest COVID-19 updates from Australia

Highlights

• In Australia, the total number of COVID-19 cases stands at 6,442,558
• Western Australia (WA) is witnessing a spike in COVID-19 cases, with nearly 15,000 locally acquired cases in the last 24 hours
• More than 20 million people have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Australia

COVID-19 doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. It continues to infect people across different parts of the world. In Australia, the tally of COVID-19 cases has reached 6,442,558 (as of 13 May 2022). The country has reported a total of 7,670 deaths, with nearly 3,000 people currently in hospitals.

In Western Australia (WA), there has been a sharp spike in COVID-19 cases, with around 15,000 locally acquired cases in the last 24 hours. These figures are the highest among all other states in Australia. Similarly, the total number of acquired cases in the last seven days also remains the highest, peaking at 47,246.

WHO takes note of spike in COVID-19 cases

World Health Organisation (WHO) representative Dr Maria Van Kerkhove said, "This virus is circulating, and it is still circulating at an intense level. It is not in the news in the much as it has been previously because there are so many conflicts and challenges out there that are filling up the news and of course, we need to make sure we pay attention to that, but we also can't take our eye off the ball of this virus."

She further added that 3.5 million cases were reported last week in the last seven days and over 12,000 deaths, which is quite high. The general decline in cases and deaths is due to a significant drop in testing rates and changes in testing policies worldwide.

Also read: COVID-19 booster dose for Aussie kids? Here’s what ATAGI says

ATAGI to examine need for 4^th (winter) dose of COVID-17

As of 12 May 2022, over 20 million people in Australia have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and more than 13 million people have received three or more doses. Similarly, as of 8 May 2022, the number of people receiving the fourth dose was tallied at 706,824.

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The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has considered data on vaccine effectiveness for Omicron in New South Wales. It will continue to assess evidence relating to the requirement for the 4th (winter) dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for individuals falling into risk groups, people with disability and those with medical complexities.

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