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State and territory leaders calling for mandatory COVID-19 isolation periods to end have been branded as "not scientifically literate" by the head of the Australian Medical Association.

As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prepares to hold a national cabinet meeting in Canberra on Friday, state and territory leaders have been warned not to push for ending COVID isolation measures.

AMA President Steve Robson blasted calls to scrap five days of isolation, warning virus cases could soon spike.

"People who are pushing for the isolation periods to be cut are not scientifically literate and are putting the public at risk, and they need to understand that," he told ABC TV on Friday.

"We're seeing a huge upswing in the numbers of COVID cases again. It's coming into holiday season when people would be travelling around the world.

"It's a period of significant risk and we're urging caution because we need to protect the health system."

Professor Robson said it was critical for state and territory leaders to heed the health advice given out at national cabinet.

Ahead of the meeting, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet called for mandatory isolation for COVID to be dropped altogether.

"We need to get to a point where if you're sick you stay at home and if you're well you go out and about and enjoy life and that's where we have to get to as a country," he told reporters in Canberra.

"We also need to get to this position where people look out for each other, that we care for each other and make sure that if you're sick you stay home without there being a public health order in place."

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said COVID needed to be normalised as a virus and be treated like any other respiratory condition.

Meanwhile, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said while case numbers were ticking downwards, caution was still needed.

"Right now is a period of low case numbers, low hospitalisation, low levels of community transmission, (it's) unlikely to be a better time than now going into summer," he told reporters in Canberra.

"But you've got to also be mindful of what might come next."

The prime minister has consistently said national consensus is needed for any changes, as happened when leaders decided to cut the isolation period from seven to five days.

The end of isolation requirements would also lead to the end of pandemic leave payments for affected workers.

Meanwhile defence force support for the country's aged care sector for COVID is coming to an end.

In a joint statement released by Defence Minister Richard Marles and Aged Care Minister Anika Wells, they confirmed the assistance will not be extended beyond Friday with the winter peak of the coronavirus over.

"We have left no stone unturned tackling the pandemic and supporting the aged care sector throughout this winter," Ms Wells said.

Mr Marles, who is also the deputy prime minister, said the ADF's resources had to be used for other priority areas.

The armed forces were brought in at the start of the pandemic as a surge workforce to help manage outbreaks in aged care homes.

WEEKLY VIRUS DATA BY JURISDICTION

* NSW: 12,592 new cases, 82 deaths

* Victoria: 9458 new cases, 59 deaths

© AAP 2022

Emergency crews have worked to reach stranded Florida residents as Hurricane Ian trained its sights on the Carolinas after cutting a coast-to-coast path of destruction across Florida, leaving behind deadly floodwaters, downed power lines and widespread damage.

Ian, one of the strongest storms ever to hit the US mainland, flooded Gulf Coast communities and knocked out power to millions before plowing across the peninsula to the Atlantic Ocean, where it regained strength before another anticipated landfall in South Carolina on Friday.

Florida's death toll remained uncertain amid scattered reports of casualties.

President Joe Biden, speaking at Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters in Washington, said Ian could prove to be the deadliest in state history.

"The numbers are still unclear, but we're hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life," Biden said on Thursday.

In hard-hit Charlotte County, a spokesperson for the sheriff's department confirmed multiple deaths but did not have a firm figure. Authorities in Sarasota County were investigating two possible storm-related deaths, a sheriff's spokesperson said.

A 72-year-old man in Deltona in central Florida died after he went outside during the storm to drain his pool, authorities said.

More than 2.6 million homes and businesses in Florida remained without power. Governor Ron DeSantis said that Lee and Charlotte counties, home to more than 900,000 people, were "basically off the grid".

Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina were bracing for impact as Ian - which weakened to a tropical storm during its trek across Florida - returned to hurricane strength by late Thursday afternoon after moving into the Atlantic Ocean, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 120km/h, the US National Hurricane Center said.

The storm was expected to make landfall again early on Friday afternoon just north of Charleston. A hurricane warning was in effect for about 370km of coastline from the South Carolina-Georgia border north to Cape Fear, North Carolina.

In South Carolina, Mercedes Benz, Boeing Co and the seaports that support manufacturers will suspend operations on Friday.

The coastal city of Savannah, Georgia, could see tropical storm force winds starting later Thursday or early Friday. Ian was expected to bring potential life-threatening storm surges and possible tornadoes to the region on Friday, the National Weather Service said.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper urged residents to "take necessary precautions", warning of possible flooding, landslides and tornadoes.

"This storm is still dangerous," Cooper said.

Ian blasted ashore in Florida at the barrier island of Cayo Costa on Wednesday afternoon as a category four hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 241km/h.

The storm transformed Florida's southwestern shoreline, dotted with sandy beaches, coastal towns and mobile home parks, into a disaster zone as Ian swept seawater into waterfront homes.

"Sanibel Island is destruction ... it got hit with really biblical storm surge. It washed away roads. It washed away structures," DeSantis said during a news briefing as he described the damage to the popular vacation destination.

He said earlier that 28 helicopters were performing water rescues and the bridge to the island was impassable.

By midday on Thursday, residents in hard-hit areas such as Venice, in Sarasota County about 120km south of Tampa, hunted for family and friends while rescue crews worked to reach people trapped in flooded homes.

Biden spoke to DeSantis on Thursday, and FEMA director Deanne Criswell will be in Florida on Friday. Biden said he would travel to the state when conditions allowed.

He also approved a disaster declaration, making federal resources available to the counties affected by the storm.

© RAW 2022

Australian Defence Force support for the nation's aged care sector is ending.

In a joint statement released by Defence Minister Richard Marles and Aged Care Minister Anika Wells, they confirmed the assistance will not be extended beyond Friday with the winter peak of the coronavirus over.

"We have left no stone unturned tackling the pandemic and supporting the aged care sector throughout this winter," Ms Wells said.

Mr Marles, who is also the deputy prime minister, said the ADF's resources had to be used for other priority areas.

The armed forces were brought in at the start of the pandemic as a surge workforce to help manage outbreaks in aged care homes.

More than 80 per cent of eligible residents have received a fourth dose of the vaccine, the statement says.

Meanwhile, scrapping isolation requirements for COVID-positive patients and boosting hospital funding will be high on the agenda for a meeting between the prime minister and his state and territory counterparts.

Anthony Albanese will host state and territory leaders at parliament house in Canberra on Friday, as pressure builds from business to further ease the five-day isolation period.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet is calling for mandatory isolation to be scrapped, saying Australians need to take personal responsibility for their actions.

"We need to get to the point where we move away from public health orders," he said.

"It's always a balance between the public health, broader health issues like mental health, social wellbeing and economic and financial issues facing people across our state."

Mr Albanese has consistently said national consensus is needed for any changes, as happened when leaders decided to cut the isolation period from seven to five days.

The future of isolation payments would then need to be nutted out, with Mr Albanese saying they would remain available as long as isolation is mandatory.

Asked about a reported push by the states for more public hospital funding, Health Minister Mark Butler said the federal government had already extended pandemic support, which is due to expire on Friday.

This involved allocating an extra $760 million to the state hospital system until the end of the year.

National cabinet, which will also receive advice on flood risks and emergency planning, will receive a briefing from the chief medical officer as the weekly COVID-19 figures drop.

It comes after the Therapeutic Goods Administration granted provisional approval for a Pfizer COVID-19 booster for children aged between six months and five years.

The medical regulator last week also provided provisional approval to Pfizer's booster for children aged between five and 11.

The latest weekly COVID-19 data will also be released by states and territories on Friday.

There were almost 45,000 infections recorded last week, with more than 200 deaths.

© AAP 2022