Sydney GP Kean Seng Lim warns the return of face masks is essential as Australia braces for a horror winter ahead.
"I think we have a big problem coming," he told the Today show on Thursday.
"You have got the Covid and influenza viruses both coming on together.
"We do see them happening more during these winter months as people cluster closer together," he said.
"We also have the problem where we are going to have fewer staff. It isn't just because staff are off, because they themselves are sick, but also because their kids and grandkids are sick at schools and or schools are reducing because teachers are sick and so forth and so forth because everything interconnects."
- Dr Kean Seng Lim
Victoria and NSW look likely to follow Queensland in offering free flu jabs as millions of Aussies will be eligible for a fourth Covid vaccine from next week.
Meanwhile, Covid cases and hospitalisations across Australia and New Zealand look like this:
Western Australia
- New cases: 11,832
- Covid-related deaths: 2
- Hospital and ICU admissions: 312 / 6
Northern Territory
- New cases: 330
- Covid-related deaths: 0
- Hospital and ICU admissions: 12 / 0
Australian Capital Territory
- New cases: 911
- Covid-related deaths: 0
- Hospital and ICU admissions: 85 / 1
Queensland
- New cases: 5,246
- Covid-related deaths: 19
- Hospital and ICU admissions: 445 / 12
New South Wales
- New cases: 10,926
- Covid-related deaths: 30
- Hospital and ICU admissions: 1,204 / 38
Victoria
- New cases: 12,421
- Covid-related deaths: 19
- Hospital and ICU admissions: 559 / 34
South Australia
- New cases: 3,837
- Covid-related deaths: 1
- Hospital and ICU admissions: 238 / 9
Tasmania
- New cases: 946
- Covid-related deaths: 0
- Hospital and ICU admissions: 50 / 1
New Zealand
- New cases: 7,591
- Covid-related deaths: 16
- Hospital and ICU admissions: 355 / 12
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