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Australia's leaders will discuss whether mask mandates should be resumed, shortening the timeframe for booster shots and if people will soon need to have had three jabs to be considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will convene an "informal" national cabinet in a virtual meeting with state and territory heads on Wednesday to discuss the threat of the new Omicron variant.

He is due to update the leaders with the most recent information on Omicron and call for calm and consistent border arrangements ahead of the Christmas holidays.

The time frame of booster shots is due to be discussed, with South Australia pushing for a shortened interval of three months, as Omicron continues to spread.

Australia's vaccine advisory body is reviewing whether three doses will be required to be considered fully immunised.

Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation is also considering whether the booster shot timeline should be shortened to three months, from five now.

Federal frontbencher David Littleproud said on Tuesday reassured Australians there are enough booster shots available.

"We have enough to go around. People don't need to panic" he told the Nine Network.

"As we start to understand Omicron a lot better ... and its severity, I think over the coming weeks we will get a better picture, then the premiers will be able to make decisions on mandates around masks."

Chief Medical Officer Dr Paul Kelly has also reportedly recommended a mask mandate in all indoor settings in an effort to curb an escalation in Omicron cases.

Mr Morrison said on Monday the government would follow health advice on mask mandates, noted there were some circumstances when mask-wearing was "commonsense".

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has resisted a push to reintroduce a mask mandate as daily cases in the state soared to record levels over the past week.

NSW recorded 2501 new daily cases on Monday with 261 people in hospital. Of those, 33 are in intensive care.

Victoria reported 1302 additional infections with 406 people in hospital including 81 in intensive care.

South Australia recorded 105 new infections, while there were 59 in Queensland. The ACT recorded 13 cases and Tasmania three.

Three new infections were also confirmed in the Northern Territory as it extended a lockdown in the town of Tennant Creek until Wednesday.

The nation's principal health advisory body, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, has also reportedly recommended the increased use of rapid antigen tests as cases continue to grow.

Asking whether the government would answer calls for the tests to be made free in a bid to minimise the risk of transmission over Christmas, Mr Morrison responded he had worked practically through the issues "all the way through" the pandemic.

Meanwhile, new research shows Australians think they have been overwhelmingly diligent when it comes to complying with COVID-19 measures.

But the national survey of 1700 people by the Australian National University also shows people are less inclined to believe their peers are doing the right thing, with more than four in five people saying their own compliance was higher than those around them.

Lead author Dr Zoe Leviston said this showed Australians tended to be more conscious of non-compliance after the sacrifices made during lockdowns.

"If you walk through a shopping centre and see 10 people wearing a mask and the eleventh person is not wearing a mask, you tend to ignore the 10 people who are doing the right thing," Dr Leviston said.

"All of your attention focuses on the one person doing the wrong thing, even though this stranger might have a valid reason for not wearing a mask."

© AAP 2021

It has been billed as the ultimate Christmas gift.

Australian Red Cross Lifeblood is calling for more people to give blood, with almost 9000 additional donors required to meet demand and help save lives over the festive break.

Lifeblood says a combination of Christmas holidays and the reopening of borders has led to a record number of donation appointment "no shows" across the country.

They have estimated "one in two" appointments have not been attended in recent weeks, prompting calls for at least 8985 more donors to roll up their sleeves between Boxing Day and January 3.

With blood needed somewhere in the country every 18 seconds, Lifeblood has urged Australians to provide the gift that keeps on giving this Christmas.

"Lifeblood's message is this; this Christmas don't just give something, give everything," Lifeblood executive director of donor services Cath Stone said.

"Donate blood and you can help to save up to three lives."

Ms Stone said the festive period had traditionally been a challenging period for Lifeblood with regular donors taking time out to catch up with family and friends.

But this year has hit particularly hard with many people finally able to travel with COVID-19 restrictions easing around the country.

NSW alone requires 2700 new donors over the festive period to meet demand.

"We're urging people to make blood donation a priority. The need for blood never stops and there are people in hospital right now relying on donated blood for serious accidents, surgery, complicated births and cancer treatment," Ms Stone said.

"A particular part of our blood, called platelets, only lasts for seven days. Platelets are a vital clotting agent used in emergencies and cancer treatment, and it takes four donors to make just one bag, so we need a constant supply.

"Donating blood only takes an hour of your time but for a patient, it's life-changing."

To donate call 13 14 95, visit lifeblood.com.au or download the Donate Blood app.

BREAKDOWN OF ADDITIONAL BLOOD DONORS NEEDED IN AUSTRALIA:

Australian Capital Territory: 320

South Australia: 500

NSW: 2700

Tasmania: 240

Northern Territory: 125

Victoria: 2000

Queensland: 2200

Western Australia: 900

© AAP 2021

Rafael Nadal has tested positive for coronavirus on his return to Spain following his comeback tournament, leaving his participation at the Australian Open in doubt.

The 20-time major champion played at an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi last weekend and declared his mission a success despite consecutive defeats on his return from a foot injury.

Nadal had only competed in two matches since losing to Novak Djokovic in the French Open semi-finals in June before testing his long-term foot problem against Andy Murray and most recently Denis Shapovalov.

However, the 35-year-old's plans to feature in the Melbourne ATP 250 ahead of the Australian Open in early January have suffered a setback after he tested positive for COVID-19 upon landing in his home country on Monday.

Nadal revealed the news on Twitter on Monday as he posted: "I wanted to announce that on my return home after playing the Abu Dhabi tournament, I have tested positive for COVID in the PCR test that was performed on me when I arrived in Spain.

"Both in Kuwait and Abu Dhabi we passed controls every two days and all were negative, the last being on Friday and having the results on Saturday.

"I am having some unpleasant moments but I hope that I will improve little by little. I am now homebound and have reported the result to those who have been in contact with me.

"As a consequence of the situation, I have to have total flexibility with my calendar and I will analyse my options. I will keep you informed of any decisions about my future tournaments!"

Nadal was eyeing the Australian Open, which starts on January 17, as his first major comeback, though he earlier admitted his entry was not guaranteed as he evaluated his foot injury and physical fitness.

"I cannot guarantee Australia 100 per cent, because I need to go home and see how the body responds after these days," Nadal told reporters on Saturday.

"I have time to make a decision. At this point in my career, I need to go day by day, study each movement well.

"I have been able to show a competitive level against good players even without being in perfect condition. There are things to improve but looking at things with perspective it has been a positive tournament [in Abu Dhabi].

"The main objective is to be healthy enough to do the things that I need to do and aspire to the objectives that I have always had."

The ATP Tour event in Melbourne, which would be Nadal's first such tournament since August, is due to start on January 3.

© RAW 2021