LATEST COVID-19 DEVELOPMENTS:
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* The first aged care residents have received their COVID-19 boosters, after a third vaccine dose was approved by the country's peak advisory group.
* Prime Minister Scott Morrison and premiers are expected to next week discuss ways to prevent COVID-19 transmission among young children.
* Victoria will tighten rules for medical exemptions to COVID-19 vaccinations in a crackdown on people doctor shopping and pressuring GPs for exemptions.
* The state recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic's third wave on Thursday, after 25 Victorians died with COVID-19 and another 1923 new local infections were reported.
* Falling ambulance response times and elective surgery delays in Victoria have been blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic.
* A 41-year-old man accused of kicking a dog in last month's violent protest outside a Victorian union headquarters has been charged with animal cruelty.
* Four men are also being hunted by police after a journalist was attacked and had urine thrown at him during the riots in central Melbourne last month.
* As NSW vaccination rates continue to improve, health authorities are warning even fully jabbed people can catch the virus after an outbreak at a Sydney gym.
* NSW recorded 293 new local cases of COVID-19 and two deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday - 11 fewer infections than the previous day.
* The ACT reported eight cases of COVID-19, the lowest number of new infections in more than a month, as Canberra prepares for eased restrictions.
* A man has been charged with trying to firebomb a police station amid growing volatility over Western Australia's mandatory coronavirus vaccination plans.
* Premier Mark McGowan is staying tight-lipped about Western Australia's border plans amid suggestions the state is targeting a February reopening.
* Queensland is set to have 90 per cent of its eligible residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by early next year, but authorities are yet to outline how they'll deal with unvaccinated people.
* A Queensland woman accused of pretending to be a medical practitioner to issue fake medical certificates to get around coronavirus restrictions has faced court.
AUSTRALIAN VACCINATION NUMBERS:
* There have been 35,049,655 doses administered in the national COVID-19 vaccination rollout up to Wednesday, including 221,089 in the previous 24 hours.
* Of the total, 20,540,234 have been administered by the Commonwealth (an increase of 154,569 in the previous 24 hours).
* 14,509,421 have been administered by the states and territories, including 66,520 in the previous 24 hours.
* Nationwide, 87.6 per cent of the 16-plus population have had at least their first dose and 75.5 per cent both.
AUSTRALIAN CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS:
* Australia reported 2224 local cases on Thursday: 1923 in Victoria, 293 in NSW, and eight in the ACT.
* There was one overseas-acquired infection, in Queensland.
* The national death toll is 1693: Victoria 1090 (+25), NSW 564 (+2), Tasmania 13, ACT 8, WA 9, Queensland 7 and SA 4. Two Queensland residents who died in NSW have been included in the official tolls of both states.
GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS:
* Cases: at least 245,021,000.
* Deaths: at least 4,972,000.
* Vaccine doses administered: at least 6,887,402,000.
Data current as at 1830 AEDT on October 28, taking in federal and state/territory government updates and Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre figures.
Australian Associated Press