Australia on 'high alert' amid new Covid outbreaks

According to the latest figures from the Department of Health, the country has so far reported a total of 30,562 confirmed Covid-19 cases since the pandemic started early last year, Xinhua news agency reported. 

The death toll currently stood at 910. 

Several capital cities of the country's eight states and territories have been forced into lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus, with more than 10 million people subject to stay-at-home orders. 

"We are obviously on high alert and high watch," Hunt told reporters on Tuesday afternoon. 

He announced that Australia has surpassed 7.5 million administered Covid-19 vaccines, which includes over 5.95 million first dose vaccinations, or 28.9 per cent of the population, and over 1.47 million second dose vaccinations or 7.1 per cent of the population. 

"We have over 4.4 million Australians over the age of 50 or 51.3 per cent of the over 50s population that have been vaccinated, 60 per cent of over 60s, and 68.5 percent of over 70s, our most vulnerable group," he said. 

Despite some calls for the international arrival cap to be lowered amid the current outbreaks, Hunt urged states to accept as many residents and citizens into hotel quarantine as they can.