COVID-19 Update: Being a migrant increases risk of dying from COVID-19 in Australia

This is your update on COVID-19 in Australia for February 18.

People wear face masks in Circular Quay in Sydney, Australia. Source: Getty Images AsiaPac

The figures show the mortality rate for people born in the Middle East was more than ten times that of people born in Australia.
After two years of restricted inbound travel, Australia will reopen to overseas tourists from next week, but Australia’s biggest source of tourism, China, will be missing.
A further 38 people have died with COVID-19 in Australia.
In New South Wales, singing and dancing will be allowed across most venues, the two-metre density limit for indoor venues has been scrapped, and QR check-ins are now only required for nightclubs and music festivals with more than 1,000 patrons.
The requirement to wear face masks will also cease in most settings next Friday, in NSW.
In Victoria, from 6pm on Friday, hospitality and entertainment venues density quotas will be scrapped, along with QR code check-in requirements for retail, schools and workplaces.
QR check-ins will still be required in pubs, bars, restaurants and entertainment premises to help ensure those attending are double-vaccinated in Victoria.
In the ACT, density limits across all businesses will be removed from 6pm on Friday, while dancing is also allowed once again.
Bans on eating or drinking at hospitality venues while standing has also been removed, while the government has indicated a return to the workplace can take place for employees where possible, in the ACT.
Hospital visiting hours have been reduced to just two hours twice a day across all public hospitals in Perth in response to growing COVID-19 cases in WA.
South Australia's public health chief says dancing in public settings will stay all but banned for the time being, despite other states relaxing similar restrictions in recent days.

COVID-19 Australian Stats

New South Wales reported 1,381 patients hospitalised with 92 in intensive care. There were 15 deaths, and 9,243 new cases of COVID-19.

In Victoria, 451 people are in hospital with 64 in ICU and 16 on ventilators. There were 14 deaths and 6,935 new infections.

In Queensland, there were 5,795 new COVID-19 cases and 9 deaths. There are 408 patients with COVID-19 in hospital, with a total number of 34 patients in intensive care.

Tasmania has recorded no deaths with 623 new COVID-19 cases. 11 people are in hospital with COVID-19, two of them in ICU.

In the ACT 45 people are now in hospital with COVID-19, with 2 patients in intensive care. No death has been reported with 561 new cases.

In South Australia 1,479 new cases and no death has been recorded. 177 patients positive to COVID-19 are now in the state's hospitals, 13 of them in ICU.

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