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The prime minister is monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms after a potentially infectious positive case attended a Kirribilli House press conference.

As Scott Morrison pondered the possibility of falling ill to the virus on Sunday, more than 32,000 Australians were already newly locked away in isolation having returned a positive test in the previous 24 hours.

More than 1500 of them are in hospital beds around the country.

Mr Morrison and the nation's chief medical officer, Paul Kelly, addressed media at the PM's official Sydney residence on Wednesday to announce a snap national cabinet meeting.

The gathering was held outdoors with reporters required to wear face masks.

Despite the possibility of exposure, Mr Morrison does not need to isolate or take a PCR test under NSW Health guidelines.

His office says Kirribilli House residents and staff are acting in accordance with instructions from authorities.

"As per the NSW Health guidelines, the prime minister was not required to isolate or get tested and continues to monitor for symptoms," a spokesperson said.

Changes to isolation and testing requirements were ushered in at the national cabinet meeting on Thursday as cases across the country soared.

Less than a week later, daily numbers are again breaking records after the new year began with highs in many states.

As the Omicron variant continues to disrupt daily life for most Australians during school holidays, Queenslanders are adjusting to new mask requirements.

They were previously only required at supermarkets, shops, on public transport and during ride share scenarios as well as at airports, on planes and in cinemas and theatres.

They are now also compulsory at work unless unsafe to do so, in pubs, clubs and cafes except for when seated, at indoor stadiums and sport arenas, in libraries, hairdressers and nail salons and medical centre waiting areas.

Queenslanders are also being urged to work from home again where possible.

NSW (18,278) and Victoria (7172) again reported tens of thousands of cases on Sunday.

There were two deaths in NSW and three in Victoria.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet continues to focus on hospitalisation and intensive care numbers rather than the rising daily case total.

However, they too are climbing, with 1066 people in NSW hospitals with the virus and 83 in intensive care.

The cross into quadruple digits marks a doubling of cases in hospital since December 27 and a seven-fold increase since the first Omicron hospitalisation was announced on December 12.

An additional 472 people are in Victorian hospitals with the virus, including 52 active cases in intensive care. Twenty-two people require ventilation.

Queensland posted 3587 new infections on Sunday although there are only five virus patients in ICUs. South Australia recorded a further 2298 cases and Tasmania 404.

Meanwhile, Western Australia has reclassified as high-risk both Tasmania and the ACT, where case numbers exceeded 500 for the first time on Sunday.

This means that, from Monday, anyone entering WA from the ACT or Tasmania must be fully vaccinated, take a PCR test within 24 hours of arrival and take another test on day 12 of their 14-day self-isolation.

They must also use the G2G Now app while in quarantine.

Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein says with a highly vaccinated population, the state will not be heading into lockdown or closing borders because of climbing case numbers.

The Northern Territory reported 95 virus cases on Sunday, 35 more than its previous record, while Western Australia noted a single case, in hotel quarantine.

© AAP 2022

Tropical Cyclone Seth is expected to trigger dangerous surf and abnormally high tides as it begins to head south off the Queensland coast.

The category one system was about 630km east northeast of Hervey Bay and 720km northeast of Brisbane, the Bureau of Meteorology said early Sunday morning.

It was moving south southeast at 29 kilometres per hour.

Although maintaining its intensity, Seth is forecast to slow and shift southwest on Sunday afternoon.

While unlikely to directly impact the coastline over the following 48 hours, the BoM said the cyclone would cause dangerous surf and abnormally high tides about the southeast Queensland and northeast NSW coastlines from Sunday.

Severe weather warnings are current for both regions.

The bureau says Seth should weaken as it transitions into a sub-tropical system on Monday.

"Movement beyond this time becomes uncertain," it said.

"However there is a general indication that it will drift westward closer to or over the Australian coast during next week."

Assistant police commissioner Shane Chelepy says like all cyclones, Seth is unpredictable and being monitored closely.

"What we are expecting to see is very high tides on the coast in our low-lying areas, potentially some flooding as a result of those high tides, and some severe weather action on the coast with respect to waves and damaging surf," he told reporters in Brisbane on Sunday.

"It is really important that anybody going to the coast today and over the next couple of days is very mindful that they will be significant surf on the coast, damaging waves, and some very high tides which will cause rips along the coast and some local flooding."

Seth was downgraded from category two to a category one on Saturday.

Meteorologist Helen Reid told AAP indications were it would only be a tropical cyclone for another day or two and that if it crossed the coast it would not be as a tropical cyclone.

A strong wind warning was issued from Mackay to Sunshine Coast on Saturday, with gales expected to impact the southeast by Sunday after gusts of more than 100km/h off the coast on Friday night.

BOM also issued a severe weather warning from Wide Bay to the southeast coast with high tides expected to reach an "astronomical peak" over the next few days, easing on Wednesday.

Areas that may be affected include Gold Coast, Maroochydore, Coolangatta, Moreton Island, Noosa Heads, Caloundra, North Stradbroke Island, Rainbow Beach and Redcliffe.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said authorities were doing some modelling on Saturday to see what impact the expected high tide would have on low lying areas.

The area was expected to be hit on Sunday with waves of up to four metres.

Wild conditions forced Surf Life Saving Queensland to close 14 beaches on the Sunshine Coast on Saturday afternoon.

© AAP 2022

NSW police have arrested and charged 85 people with drug-related offences at Field Day music festival in Sydney.

Sniffer dogs helped police detect and seize MDMA, ketamine, psilocin (mushrooms), LSD, cocaine and cannabis. More than 80 people were arrested for drug possession and two for supply.

Almost 12,000 people attended the annual New Year's Day festival at The Domain in the city's centre to watch electronic duo Peking Duk, DJ Anna Lunoe and Brisbane singer Mallrat among others.

One of the drug supply charges was of a 22-year-old man allegedly found with 50 capsules of MDMA.

Police allege the man "struggled with police" during the search causing a senior constable minor injuries.

The man was then arrested and charged with supplying a prohibited drug, assaulting police and resisting arrest.

He was refused bail to face Parramatta Local Court on Sunday.

© AAP 2022