• The World Health Organization has urged people to cancel or delay their holiday plans as Omicron continues to spread worldwide. One person heeding the advice is Queen Elizabeth – she’s cancelled her traditional Christmas at Sandringham Estate, preferring to stay put at Windsor Castle. One team that might be wishing it had cancelled its party plans is the Sydney Swans… 

• The National Cabinet will meet today, and PM Scott Morrison says he will present the experts’ “strong recommendations” to reinstate indoor mask mandates – or continue them, depending on where you are. Speeding up the booster shot rollout is also on the agenda.

• Adding to that discussion today will be Doherty Institute modelling showing we’re heading towards 200,000 new COVID cases a day in late January/early February without low-to-medium restrictions, like masks. That would see hospitalisation rates lifting to 4,000 a day, they say.