Bank workers are preparing to head back to their city offices again, mask-free, from next week but this time the COVID-19 case numbers are headed in a different direction, with more than 20,000 new infections being logged nationwide each day.

Across the states, cases are fast-climbing in South Australia and Western Australia. SA Health said 1958 new cases had been detected on Wednesday from 10,598 tests, up from Tuesday’s 1378. WA reported a record 645 new COVID-19 cases, up from 263 the day before, as the state’s omicron outbreak intensifies.