COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions continue to rise across the country, with the number of pharmaceutical scripts for oral COVID-19 treatment higher than at the peak of the winter wave, dashing hopes the latest omicron wave will have faded by Christmas.

In the first week of December, 35,783 anti-viral scripts were dispensed, the highest level of the year, and above the last peak of 34,436 scripts issued in late July, according to federal government data. COVID-19 oral antiviral treatments are prescribed to patients at higher risk from the disease.