Millions of new COVID-19 infections are expected around Australia in the last six weeks of winter, according to Health Minister Mark Butler, as he urges the community to follow strong advice to wear masks and work from home where possible.
Mr Butler warned on Wednesday that there was little appetite for strict mandates but that commonsense interpretation of advice from chief health officers was sufficient to limit the transmission of the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron subvariants that were driving a “very substantial” third wave of cases.