WHO records first increase in global COVID-19 cases in four months

This is your latest weekly update on COVID-19 in Australia.

Mask wearing is recommended with the rise of COVID cases in Australia. Source: AAP / DIEGO FEDELE/AAPIMAGE

Key Points

New COVID-19 cases continue to rise across the country
Second bivalent vaccine approved for use in Australia
WHO reports first increase in COVID cases since mid-July

Australia is seeing a soup of subvariants, with BA4 and BA5 still present in the country, while the new variants XBB and BQ.1.are on the rise.

In New South Wales, 22,672 people were diagnosed with COVID-19 this week, an increase of 52.8 per cent compared to the previous week. 39 lives were lost during the reporting period.

While in Victoria, 16,636 people were newly diagnosed with COVID-19, an increase of 63 per cent from the previous reporting period. The state also recorded 46 death.

In Queensland, new COVID-19 cases have almost doubled since the last reporting period, increasing from 5828 to 10,106 people.

On Friday, NSW Health upgraded its COVID-19 risk rating to amber requiring masks to be worn in all hospital areas and visitor numbers monitored.

"Family and loved ones can still spend time with patients however, we do ask people to please limit the number of visitors coming to see patients at any one time", said NSW Health Deputy Secretary Deb Willcox.

Vaccine announcements this week

The Department of Health and Aged Care made three significant announcements regarding COVID vaccine this week.

Pfizer’s Omicron-specific COVID booster has been approved for use in Australia as a third and fourth dose in people aged 18 years and older. Roll out will begin 12 December.
Paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has also been approved for children aged 6 months to under 5 years with severe immunocompromise, complex or multiple health conditions, or disability with significant or complex health needs. It will be available from mid-January 2023.
ATAGI have decided not to recommend a fifth dose or third booster at this point. New recommendation is anticipated for early 2023 ahead of winter.

The focus should be, however, increasing the uptake of booster doses.

According to ATAGI, there are 5.5 million Australians who are eligible but yet to receive their third dose. Similarly, there are 3.2 million Australians aged over 50, who are yet to get their fourth dose.

Australians are also encouraged to check their eligibility for antivirals.

"[It's] incredibly important to get those treatments as quickly as possible," said Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly.

Best if taken within a day of being diagnosed, but up to five days, he elaborated.

"[It will] make a difference in both your chance of severe illness, leading to hospitalisation, or indeed, of dying from COVID."

According to WHO’s weekly epidemiological update, global COVID-19 cases increased for the first time since mid-July, recording a 2 per cent increase this week.

WHO warns that the true numbers of cases is an underestimate due to decline in testing globally.

The number of new weekly deaths decreased by 30 per cent from last week.

Japan, the Republic of Korea, the US, Germany and China reported the highest global COVID-19 cases at the country level.

Find a Long COVID clinic