NSW COVID cases grow; Victoria COVID cases grow; Omicron variant cases asymptomatic, mild; Alan Tudge stands down, Greg Hunt retires, Victoria pandemic bill passes

Australia is getting closer to a 90 per cent double-dose vaccination target for eligible residents.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt says 87.7 per cent of Australians are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In terms of first doses, that rate is 92.7 per cent.

Mr Hunt is holding a press conference to announce an additional $540 million in funding to continue Australia’s response to the pandemic.

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The money will be funnelled towards aged care support, the COVID-19 response in Indigenous communities, additional modelling and testing and pathology labs.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, says there is no change to the booster shot program for the wider population off the back of the Omicron coronavirus variant – for now.

“There is no evidence to suggest that an earlier booster dose of the current COVID-19 vaccines will augment the protection against the Omicron variant,” Professor Kelly said. “So in summary, no change.

“Just on the Omicron variant itself, we now have nine cases here in Australia, eight of those in NSW. We have seen some cases now that have been in the community, rather than directly into quarantine, the 7-year-old child in the northern suburbs of Sydney as one.

“There may well be more cases to come.”