Received

Health Minister Mark Butler has met with his state and territory counterparts over rising numbers of COVID-19 cases, as the government looks to make it easier for patients to get antiviral treatments.

Mr Butler met with ministers from across the country in Canberra on Friday for the first time since May's federal election.

The group agreed to further promote the availability of antiviral treatments for COVID-19, as winter case numbers spike.

"The meeting heard from the Commonwealth deputy chief medical officer Dr Sonya Bennett on the challenges currently being experienced over winter of both increased rates of influenza and COVID and the impending BA.4 and 5 wave," a readout of the meeting said.

"Minister Butler reported on the Commonwealth's submission to (the pharmaceutical benefits advisory council) to review the eligibility criteria for access to COVID-19 antiviral therapies."

Health ministers also discussed increased demand on the public hospital system, and committed to meeting every month for the rest of the year.

The surge in COVID-19 cases coincides with the end of pandemic leave payments, with infected people still required to isolate at home.

Australia's peak union body has lashed out at the government's decision to axe the payment, arguing it will force thousands to make a choice between obeying isolation rules or paying bills.

But Mr Butler insisted the government did not have the financial capacity to continue funding the emergency payments.

"We're going to have to start moving towards more normal programs that support the Australian community and people have been on notice about that for some time," he told ABC radio on Friday.

Australian Council of Trade Unions president Michele O'Neil says a lack of government support will force people to work while they are sick, spreading the virus further.

The new government is ignoring the lessons learned early in the pandemic and should reverse their decision, she said.

"If we are asking people to isolate to keep the community safe, then we need to ensure that they are supported to do that," she said on Friday.

"No one should suffer such a big financial penalty for doing the right thing."

At the same time as scrapping pandemic leave payments, the health minister warned a third wave of Omicron cases is expected, with re-infections likely due to a new variant.

Australians must get their booster as soon as possible to protect themselves, he said.

There were 33 new deaths with the virus reported on Friday, taking Australia's total fatalities since the pandemic began to 9930.

LATEST 24-HOUR COVID-19 DATA:

Victoria: 8057 cases, 12 deaths, 472 in hospital with 23 in ICU

NSW: 10,930 cases, nine deaths, 1558 in hospital with 41 in ICU

Tasmania: 1303 cases, no deaths, 47 in hospital with four in ICU

Queensland: 5313 cases, six deaths, 587 in hospital with 14 in ICU

NT: 302 cases, no deaths, 17 in hospital with two in ICU

WA: 5072 cases, two deaths, 217 in hospital with 10 in ICU

SA: 2781 cases, three deaths, 227 in hospital with seven in ICU

ACT: 1169 cases, one death, 138 in hospital with four in ICU.

© AAP 2022

A major review has called for Queensland to adopt affirmative consent laws to better deliver justice to victims and survivors of sexual assault.

The final report of the Women's Safety and Justice Taskforce makes 188 recommendations to improve the way the state's criminal justice system handles those impacted by abuse and violence.

The sweeping proposals include changing the law relating to sexual assault, refining and strengthening the responses of courts and stakeholders, and bringing the law of affirmative consent in line with other states.

An affirmative consent model means a person must do or say something to declare they have consent before sex - also called "enthusiastic consent".

It is designed to negate the argument that an accused offender had "reasonable grounds" for believing the complainant consented.

Other changes relate to custody, prison and sentencing reform so that fewer women offenders will be unnecessarily incarcerated.

Headed by former Court of Appeal president Margaret McMurdo, the task force received hundreds of submissions including more than 250 from victim-survivors of sexual assault and 19 from offenders.

"For too long society has regarded sexual violence as a taboo. But it is prevalent in our community with one in five women and one in 20 men experiencing sexual violence," Ms McMurdo said.

"Those who do report find their experiences, from police to jury trial and verdict, traumatising, confusing, disempowering and slow."

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk paid tribute to the 700 people who made submissions and said the recommendations will be considered by cabinet soon.

"It is, I believe, the most comprehensive report of its kind ever to be undertaken in Australia," she said on Friday.

It follows the findings of an inquest into the devastating murders of Brisbane woman Hannah Clarke and her three children at the hands of her husband, Rowan Baxter.

"Sexual violence remains one of the most heinous forms of violence in Australian society, with females representing an estimated 84 per cent of reported sexual assault victims," Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman said.

"Two in five of these assaults can be linked to domestic and family violence."

Ms Fentiman said this was the "incomprehensible reality" victims face and why it was vital to remove any barriers for women coming forward to utilise the justice system.

The attorney-general said the findings and recommendations of Ms McMurdo's report spoke volumes and would be carefully considered, including in relation to Queensland's consent laws.

The taskforce was established in March 2021 with the first report, Hear her voice, making 89 recommendations including a new criminal offence of coercive control.

The state government has committed to introducing the legislation by the end of 2023.

Coercive control includes isolating a partner from family and friends, monitoring their movements, controlling their access to money and psychological and emotional manipulation.

That form of abuse disproportionately affects women.

The government has also allocated $363 million to expand domestic violence courts, boost support services, plan a First Nations strategy and fund perpetrator programs "to change men's behaviour".

"These are complex issues that require significant consideration to determine how best to strengthen our criminal justice system to better respond to women and girls experiencing violence," Ms Fentiman said.

"We're committed to ending all forms of domestic, family and sexual violence in this state and know there is much work yet to be done."

© AAP 2022

Pandemic leave payments have ended ahead of an expected surge of COVID-19 cases but infected people must still follow directions to isolate at home for a week, the health minister says.

Mark Butler says the federal government does not have the financial capacity to continue funding what were intended as emergency payments, and which came to an end on June 30.

"We're going to have to start to moving towards more normal programs that support the Australian community and people have been on notice about that for some time," he told ABC radio on Friday.

Asked if people without sick leave entitlements were likely to go to work with COVID-19 if they did not have access to government support, Mr Butler said he "hoped not".

"We can't continue forever to fund from the budget the gaps in the labour market that exist," he said.

Yet the minister warned health authorities are expecting a third wave of Omicron cases, with re-infections likely due to a new variant.

Australians must get their booster as soon as possible to protect themselves, he said.

"Even if you caught COVID in that big summer wave, where millions of Australians caught (it), if you've only had two doses ... you are potentially susceptible to infection over coming months," he said.

Mr Butler will meet with state and territory health ministers on Friday, and managing the coronavirus will be high on the agenda.

Ministers will discuss ways for more vulnerable people with COVID-19 to get access to antiviral drugs.

Mr Butler said it was important to expand the use of the antivirals to help manage the pandemic.

"We're getting feedback from pharmacists, GPs and patients alike (and) I don't think that there's a great level of awareness about these treatments out in the community," he said.

"You have to have a plan for when you get notified of a positive COVID test so that you can contact your GP quickly (and) get a script for these antivirals."

As the government announced it would hold an inquiry into vaccine contracts, Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles said it was critical the country was prepared for further sub-variants of the virus.

"We do need to learn the lessons of the failures of the past, it's not like there's not going to be any examination," he told Sky News on Friday.

"But this is not about an inquiry into all of that, it's about how we can best place ourselves going forward."

LATEST 24-HOUR COVID-19 DATA:

Victoria: 8057 cases, 12 deaths, 472 in hospital with 23 in ICU

NSW: 10,930 cases, nine deaths, 1558 in hospital with 41 in ICU

Tasmania: 1303 cases, no deaths, 47 in hospital with four in ICU

Queensland: 5313 cases, six deaths, 587 in hospital with 14 in ICU

NT: 302 cases, no deaths, 17 in hospital with two in ICU

WA: 5072 cases, two deaths, 217 in hospital with 10 in ICU

SA: 2781 cases, three deaths, 227 in hospital with seven in ICU

© AAP 2022