Australia news live updates: Covid isolation rule changes and fourth booster shots under review

Former federal Labor MP Craig Thomson is facing new charges this morning following his arrest over an AVO breach yesterday.

Thomson has been charged by police with fraud over Covid-19 business schemes, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Thomson allegedly falsified information to obtain $25,000 from the NSW state government Covid-19 small business grants.

Caitlin Cassidy here to guide you through today’s news, with Covid-19 again at the top of the agenda.

Australia’s top health authorities are meeting today to review isolation requirements and booster recommendations that were agreed to at the last national cabinet meeting.

Scott Morrison and the premiers have agreed to transition away from mandatory quarantine for all close contacts, while medical experts are examining a second round of booster shots in the lead-up to winter.

It comes as Covid cases again rise in several states as the Omicron subvariant BA.2 threatens to become the dominant Covid variant. Queensland reported a 15% increase in cases on Tuesday, while New South Wales recorded nearly 21,000 infections and numbers also rose in Victoria.

As flood cleanup continues, residents of the northern rivers are again bracing for possible flash flooding this week with heavy rain forecast in NSW. Up to 25mm of rain is expected in Sydney on Friday.

Still in NSW, the state MP Gareth Ward is facing threats of being forced out of parliament after being charged by police yesterday over allegations of sexual abuse of a man and a 17-year-old boy. Premier Dominic Perrottet is demanding he resign immediately.

And in Ukraine civilians are being evacuated along humanitarian corridors from the city of Mariupol besieged by Russian military and rebel forces.

Let’s dive in.