Masks and fast-tracked booster shots on the cards for Australia

State Premiers and Prime Minister Scott Morrison will meet on Wednesday to discuss tactics to tackle omicron -- and masks, boosters and rapid tests are on the agenda.

New modelling showing the possibility of 200,000 Covid cases a day across Australia will be revealed at today’s urgent ­national cabinet meeting.

It is understood state ­premiers and the Prime ­Minister are also likely to tick off on plans to bring forward Covid booster eligibility from five months to four months – a move NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has been ­pushing for.

Scott Morrison will also present the state leaders with new Covid-19 modelling, Premier Dominic Perrottet revealed yesterday.

“I understand there is some new modelling that the federal government will present,” he said.

National cabinet will urgently meet tomorrow to discuss tactics to handle Omicron. Picture: Gaye Gerard

“Our view is also shared by the Victorian government – potentially the proposition is to bring forward the booster shots from five months to four months.

“We will provide whatever support we can to the federal government so that, logistically, we can get that.”

The Doherty Institute modelling predicts that without low-to-medium restrictions, such as density and visitor limits, Australia could reach about 200,000 cases per day by late January or early February. According to reports, the modelling said: “Boosters alone will not be fast enough to halt the spread of Omicron.”

Fast-growing case numbers would lift hospitalisation rates to 4000 per day, which would push emergency departments to the limit, while up to 10,000 patients were expected to be admitted to intensive care.

But while the state and federal governments are eager to accelerate the rollout to bolster our defences against the Omicron variant, senior figures are concerned it could cause a major logistics headache over Christmas.

The concerns have plenty of merit, with GPs and pharmacists calling out issues with the rollout. NSW currently has more than 300,000 Pfizer doses in fridges and expects that number to reach more than 788,000 by the end of Christmas Eve.

As NSW recorded another 3057 cases yesterday, Mr Perrottet said he will also be raising a shortage of rapid antigen tests in the meeting after NSW pharmacy shelves were wiped clear in the lead-up to Christmas.

“There is clearly a whole range of issues right now … that are challenging,” he said.

Mr Morrison said he will use the meeting to advise premiers not to introduce heavy-handed restrictions or lockdowns.

The state is currently in a testing blitz as cases continue to rise. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“The states have the total authority when it comes to public health orders, the Commonwealth does not have the power to direct those state and territory governments,” Mr Morrison said.

“What I will be saying to them – and I know a number of premiers agree with this – is we have got to move to the next phase of how we live with this virus.

“The time for that heavy hand is behind us. We just need to live with this virus sensibly and practically.”

Mr Morrison said he had also written to the premiers setting out expert advice on mask use.

“There is important messages about the strong recommendation about mask use inside and … that is very sensible,” he said.

BOOSTER DOSES PROVING HARD TO LOCATE

The Federal Government has claimed “supply is not an issue” for Covid vaccine boosters but pharmacists and GPs say millions of doses are sitting “in the wrong places”.

Changes to immunisation guidelines which brought forward the third dose interval from six months to five months along with a state government push to “join the booster club” has seen record demand.

Five Dock GP Sophie Bernard said she was forced to throw out hundreds of expired doses last month but is now struggling to find stock to keep up with patients.

“On Thursday we got our Christmas period delivery, and we   weren’t able to increase the amount we got … we got 120 and that’s not nearly enough,” she said.

“We have had such a demand for it because all the conversations are about getting your booster and then you have the double whammy of people at six months and ­people at five months.”

GP Sophie Bernard is struggling to keep up with the huge growth in demand for booster shots. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Dr Bernard said the problem will intensify when the vaccine rollout for five- to 11-year-olds begins in the second week of January.

Rhodes GP Meena Qidwai said supply has been “erratic” and the demand was “definitely exceeding supply”.

“One week we won’t have enough and there will be high demand and the next week we will have too much,” she said.

Dr Qidwai said her surgery of 10 doctors was only getting about 120 children’s doses per fortnight during the initial ­rollout.

There were also concerns that alerts being sent out from NSW Health two months ­before the eligible date would prompt even more people to join the queues.

“It’s been five months since your second Covid-19 vaccination. Now you can get a booster,” the text read.

But a spokesman confirmed the early alerts were to ensure people had sufficient time to book in when they are due.