The Liberals have called for clarity over COVID-19 messaging following health advice to increase mask use and work from home where appropriate.
Inconsistency in the government's messaging has made it harder for Australians to understand why changes are necessary, the opposition's health spokeswoman says.
"There has been quite a lot of mixed messaging out there. A lot of Australians are very fatigued about having to continually make changes in their lives," Anne Ruston said.
"It's really incumbent on all state and territory governments and the federal government to be really consistent in their messaging, making sure that Australians understand what it is they need to be doing."
Senator Ruston also called for more transparency about why health decisions were being made.
"The most important thing is making sure you're transparent with the Australian public about why you're making particular decisions," she said.
"Australians, as a general rule, are pretty good at doing the right thing, as long as they understand why they're doing it and the benefit not just to themselves, but to others."
The prime minister said a reintroduction of mask mandates wasn't on the table at the most recent national cabinet meeting amid concerns about an upcoming COVID-19 wave.
Anthony Albanese said the chief medical officer hadn't advocated for a mandate.
"The clear decision of the AHPPC, the peak body where you get all the state and territory chief health officers together with the chief medical officer, Professor (Paul) Kelly, haven't advocated that to me at all," he told the ABC on Thursday.
"The other thing you need to bear in mind is the mental health aspects of restrictions on people's behaviour.
"We need to get the balance right and I think that's something the chief health officers have borne in mind."
The comments come a day after Prof Kelly warned case numbers and hospitalisations would continue to increase.
"We are in for a new wave of this very infectious variant and we need to do some things differently, at least for a short period of time," he said.
"I have recommended that we need to increase mask use. We have left it there for others to consider the pros and cons of how to do that."
Mr Albanese also raised concerns about the enforcement of any mandates, which remain in place on public transport in NSW and Victoria.
"The question is, are people complying with them? There's no good having a mandate unless it's enforced," he said.
"Are there people jumping on trams here in Victoria and enforcing the rules and fining people? I don't know that that's happening.
"It's not happening in NSW."
There were 53,850 cases recorded across the country in the 24 hours to 6am on Wednesday.
More than 300,000 cases were recorded in Australia in the past week.
Based on modelling from health authorities, the winter wave was expected to peak in August and would likely be over by September, the prime minister said.
"Whilst we're seeing this surge is occurring, it's expected to continue to increase just over the next few weeks, but then decline next month and towards September," he said.
LATEST 24-HOUR COVID-19 DATA:
NSW: 13,829 cases, 25 deaths, 2210 in hospital with 55 in ICU
Victoria: 14,312 cases, 37 deaths, 875 in hospital with 46 in ICU
Qld: 11,687 cases, 10 deaths, 1034 in hospital with 21 in ICU
Tasmania: 1684 cases, two deaths, 193 in hospital with two in ICU
WA: 6960 cases, seven deaths, 459 in hospital with 22 in ICU
NT: 669 cases, no deaths, 70 in hospital with one in ICU
ACT: 1407 cases, one death, 165 in hospital with three in ICU
© AAP 2022