PM announces change to isolation time as nation records more than 32,000 cases – as it happened

Scott Morrison announces change to isolation time; South Australia records 2,091 new Covid-19 cases and four deaths; NT introduces indoor masks after 60 cases; Queensland records 3,118 cases; NSW records 21,151 new cases and six deaths; Victoria records 5,919 cases and seven deaths; the ACT records 462 cases; and WA one case. This blog is now closed

• Australia's Covid surge in four charts: NSW now has one of world's highest infection rates
• How Australia went from Covid-zero to Covid-central in just a few months
• What are the new rules on Covid isolation, close contacts and testing?
• Vaccine rollout tracker; cases and data tracker
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China's foreign ministry has responded to reports that the Australian Department of Defence has not recommended scrapping a Chinese company's long-term lease over the Port of Darwin.

Earlier this week, the Australian newspaper reported that a Defence review had found there were no national security grounds sufficient to recommend a government intervention to overturn the 99-year lease to Chinese company Landbridge. The newspaper reported the cabinet's national security committee had not yet taken any action, because there was no formal recommendation from Defence for a national security intervention, but the Morrison government was still reviewing the matter.

Plan ahead. Watch your alcohol consumption in relation to the Covid-safe deployments.

We ask you to maintain masks and physical distancing.

Police will be out in force on our roads and at events, not just in Sydney, but right across the state to make sure everyone rings in the new year safely.