National Covid crisis triggers urgent change in health advice

Australia has recorded more than 50,000 cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, triggering an urgent shift in official health advice.

Health experts have renewed a call for Australians to resume working from home after hundreds of thousands of people caught Covid in the last week.

But the true case numbers are likely to be double the official 300,000 figure, Health Minister Mark Butler warned.

Chief medical officer Paul Kelly told reporters in Canberra the “threat” of the BA. 4 and BA. 5 Omicron sub variants required the increased alarm.

“The reason for that is because it's much more infectious than earlier variants … and it’s also very good at escaping immunity,” he said.

Hospitals and healthcare workers are struggling under the strain of increased admissions during the ongoing wave.

Health Minister Mark Butler says Covid cases are double the official figure. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Professor Kelly urged Australians to do everything in their power to stop the spread – including working from home.

“We have done this before and we can do this again,” he said.

“The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee has reiterated its advice on reinfection periods, testing and isolation, mask wearing, vaccine boosters and treatments and called on employers to allow work from home if feasible.”

But not enough people have been lining up to receive their third or fourth dose of the Covid vaccine, Mr Butler conceded.

“Over the last seven days only 50,000 or so Australians received their third dose. The third dose rate just isn’t shifting fast enough,” he told reporters in Canberra.

Prof Kelly spoke about the recommendations amid rising case numbers. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Masks, which have become a lightning rod for disagreement in recent weeks, have been strongly encouraged but not mandated.

“I really very strongly suggest that you do wear masks … This will not be forever but for the next few weeks,” Professor Kelly said.

Meanwhile, the government has confirmed it is in talks with the Defence Force to expand the aged care surge workforce, which had been rolling down following the surge of cases in January.

Nationally the ratio of aged care homes battling Covid-19 outbreaks has increased week-on-week from one in five to one in three.

Mr Butler said he would have “more to say” in coming days.

“The (health) department is now talking to the ADF about whether there is additional capacity the ADF has, recognising they have other jobs they need to do as well,” he said.

“But whether there is some additional capacity the ADF has that they can contribute to the aged care sector, those talks are happening now.”