New South Wales has again smashed the national record for new daily COVID-19 infections, with the state reporting 35,054 new infections and eight deaths on Wednesday.
It's a rise of 11,923 cases from the 23,131 recorded on Tuesday, which had been the highest single-day tally for NSW.
There are 1,491 people in hospital in NSW, 147 more than the previous day's 1,344 patients.
This is the highest number of COVID-19 hospitalisations recorded in the state since the pandemic began.
There are 119 people in intensive care, 14 more than on Tuesday.
Victoria has posted 17,636 cases and 11 deaths - up from Tuesday's 14,020 infections.
There are 106 people in ICU and 591 in hospital - 75 more than the previous day when 516 patients were hospitalised.
By 8am more than 30 state-run sites had temporarily suspended testing because they reached capacity and by 10am it was more than 50.
That was on top of 54 testing sites run by four private pathology providers, which have temporarily suspended operations until at least January 9 to allow their labs to catch up on a backlog of tests.
Acting premier Jacinta Allan was out on Wednesday morning promoting vaccination for children aged five to 11, with bookings open from 1pm.
Also making headlines in Victoria is news tennis star Novak Djokovic has been granted a vaccine exemption allowing him to enter the country to play in the Australian Open.
Queensland has posted 6,781 new cases COVID-19 from 29,418 tests.
That number is up 1,082 infections from the 5,699 COVID-19 cases posted on Tuesday.
The state now has more than 32,000 active cases.
There are 265 people in hospital, up from 170 patients on Tuesday. Ten patients are in ICU, two of which are on a ventilator.
Queensland's Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said authorities believe the real number of cases in the state is "significantly higher" than the reported infections.
He said people who have symptoms should stay home.
Signs indicating that this chemist is out of Covid-19 rapid antigen tests (RAT) are seen, Brisbane Sunday, January 2, 2022. Source: AAP
"So the vast majority of us, particularly if we are young and healthy and we don't have underlying immune disorders or underlying major medical conditions, we'll have a mild illness... when we acquire COVID-19," he said.
"And so what I'm suggesting to you is if you are sick with those symptoms, suggestive of COVID-19, just assume it's COVID-19 and stay at home."
In South Australia, 3,493 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded - a rise from the 3,246 infections posted on Tuesday.
There are 125 people in hospital, up from the 102 patients hospitalised the previous day. Twelve people remain in ICU and one person is on a ventilator.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall said about 50 per cent of people in intensive care are unvaccinated.
It comes as Mr Marshall flagged the state would likely move to rapid antigen tests for close contacts within the next week.
"At the moment, we've got plenty of PCR capacity within our testing system in South Australia and so we are asking close contacts to have their PCR tests," Mr Marshall said on Wednesday.
"We will evolve to a RAT test to preserve the PCR testing for those people that are symptomatic."
Tasmania, meanwhile, has recorded 867 new cases of COVID-19.
A drive-through COVID-19 PCR testing clinic in Sydney. Source: Getty Images AsiaPac
Five people in hospital for unrelated medical conditions have COVID-19. There are no patients in intensive care.
Tasmania now has 3,118 active cases in the state.
It comes as the state government launches a testing blitz on remote King Island due to concerns a positive case visited several large events before knowing they were infectious. King Island, which sits in the Bass Strait off Tasmania's northwest coast, has a population of about 1,700 people.
The state's health department has urged anyone on the island with symptoms, regardless of how severe, to isolate and get tested as soon as possible.
A testing team will arrive on Wednesday to help conduct PCR tests.
The ACT's vaccination program is set to expand, as the Territory recorded 810 new cases reported on Wednesday, a slight decrease from the 926 infections the day before.
The ACCC has lashed out at retailers who it says are price gouging COVID-19 rapid antigen tests. Source: STRMX
Hospitalisations have increased to 16, while one patient is in intensive care and on a ventilator.
As Omicron infections surge across the ACT, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said an additional mass-vaccination clinic will be set up from late January to deal with large numbers of booster shots and child vaccines.
A second clinic will be re-established at Canberra Airport, which had previously been open during 2021's Delta wave.
The Northern Territory has hit triple figures in new COVID-19 infections with 117 detected as the virus spreads through the community.
A baby has tested positive for the virus in Katherine, 320km south of Darwin, amid fears the Omicron variant may have reached the town.
In Western Australia, five new local COVID-19 cases were recorded as another quarantine hotel worker tested positive for the virus.
National cabinet is meeting on Wednesday to discuss community concerns around access and affordability of rapid testing kits.
The plan could see welfare recipients and pensioners get cash payments for up to five rapid tests, or even more, if states also put money on the table.
They would need to meet eligibility requirements to qualify for the subsidy.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday that the federal government would not be supplying free RAT kits.
"We've invested hundreds of billions of dollars getting Australia through this crisis," he said.
"We're now at a stage of the pandemic where you can't just make everything free because when someone tells you they want to make something free, someone's always going to pay for it and it will be you."
And as queues stretch out, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has pleaded with people in his state not to line up for PCR tests unless they are a close contact or have symptoms of COVID-19.
"Many people across NSW are feeling anxious and concerned, but we will get through," he said on Wednesday.
"If you are not required to get a PCR test, please do not line up in that queue.
"We have a number of rapid antigen tests arriving as of next week that will significantly assist."
Mr Perrottet is also encouraging parents to book vaccinations for their children, with the state aiming to get them back into classrooms safely on the first day of term.
With AAP.
