That’s a wrap of another busy day on the Need to Know blog. Here are the highlights:

-- Australia has recorded its deadliest day of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 88 deaths, including 46 in NSW, 20 in Victoria and 13 in Queensland. This beat the previous record of 77 on Tuesday.

-- There were another 64,523 new cases across the country, with more than 5000 in hospital including 424 in ICU.

-- Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said WA’s decision to close its borders indefinitely would be “disappointing” for many WA residents who are cut off from their families in the eastern states.

-- Flight Centre chief executive Graham Turner is considering a fresh legal challenge against the West Australian government after its snap decision to not open its border as planned on February 5.

-- WA Premier Mark McGowan hit back at critics, saying he was trying to protect his citizens from experiencing the high death rates on the east coast.

-- Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said rapid antigen tests should be free and provided by the federal government, as in the United States and Britain.

-- Australia recorded its biggest vaccination day yesterday, with 353,190 people getting the COVID-19 jab. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said there had been more than 1.98 million vaccine doses in the past week, taking the total number of COVID-19 vaccines to 47.4 million.