A COVID-19-positive child under the age of two has died in South Australia, as the state records 1374 new cases of the virus.

The child's death is in addition to the death of a woman in her 90s this week who also contracted the virus.

The causes of their deaths are yet to be confirmed and have been referred to the coroner.

LIVE UPDATES: 'Queenslands cannot avoid the virus'

Premier Steven Marshall described the death of the child "a tragic circumstance for the family".

He said he can not go into further detail about the death.

"It's a very sad set of circumstances but we still don't know what the cause is," Mr Marshall said.

"Obviously the family is in huge distress."

Mr Marshall sent his condolences to the family.

LIVE UPDATES: 'Queenslands cannot avoid the virus'

Mr Marshall noted today's infection numbers were a slight reduction on the number of cases that were reported yesterday and the day before.

"These numbers are very likely to be bobbing around for some time," he said.

He said there were 23,420 processed yesterday in the 24 hours to midnight.

There are currently 37 people in hospital in SA with the virus.

Changes to close contact definition

The Premier announced the definition of a close contact will narrow as of midnight tonight, following an emergency meeting of National Cabinet.

"This will essentially be people who are household or intimate contacts with a positive case," he said.

However, each state will look at "exceptions or exceptional circumstances in their state".

"For example, in more vulnerable communities and also where there is a known significant transmission event," Mr Marshall said.

"We might, if you like, flex up the definition of close contacts in a residential aged care facility because we know people there are far more vulnerable.

"Or if there have been multiple or a larger number of new cases or community transmission within an individual workplace, then we might have a larger definition of close contacts there."

Mr Marshall said the time that both close contacts and positive cases should be in isolation in South Australia was also discussed.

"As of the next 24 to 48 hours we will be moving to 10 days for people who are COVID-positive and seven days for those people who are close contacts if they're vaccinated," he said.

"(This) will remain in 14 days if they're unvaccinated.

"Ultimately if you don't have any symptoms and you've done your 10 days… then you are right to go back to your business, obviously continuing to monitor any symptoms."

Mr Marshall said the states agreed to make a transition to more people using rapid antigen tests and "getting out of the line-ups for a PCR test".

"Over the next 24 to 48 hours we'll be looking at putting new directions in place to make it very clear to every single person in South Australia that we really want to test people that have symptoms, or are close contacts of those people that have symptoms," he said.

"We will be significantly tightening up on that."

Victorians are being warned to be safe and beware of the heat as they celebrate the end of 2021.

A large police presence is set to be out across the state tomorrow, particularly in beach areas and in Melbourne CBD, as temperatures soar into the high 30s.

Victoria Police Minister Lisa Neville has said she understands many Victorians want to celebrate New Year's Eve after what has been a tough year for many.

READ MORE: Most of Australia to enjoy sunny skies for New Year's Eve

"We're only in this position because Victorians have done a lot of the hard yards over the past 12 months," she said.

However, she has warned Victorians to be safe in their celebrations.

"Let's not see tragedy over this New Year's Eve period."

Ms Neville said there would be a substantial amount of police and PSOs out across the state tomorrow, focusing on safety and ready to intervene in anti-social behaviour.

She asked people not attending an event or restaurant to "celebrate locally".

READ MORE: Victoria records 13 COVID-19 deaths overnight

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Rick Nugent said there would be a "major" police operation running right across the state, with thousands of extra police having been rostered to work.

"We will absolutely be out in force doing all we can to ensure people have a happy and safe New Year's celebration," he said.

DC Nugent has warned people to beware of the high heat forecast.

"We know that heat and excessive consumption of alcohol doesn't go well."

"Make sure you plan ahead and work out how you are going to get to and from your destination – it would be devastating to think that someone might not live to enjoy 2022 because of a bad decision made on New Year's Eve."

Victorians have also been asked to remember that masks are required in all public indoor settings and on public transport and in ride-share vehicles.

Celebrations in the CBD

Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp said New Year's Eve celebrations in Melbourne CBD had been modified to be COVID-safe.

She said people needed to be fully-vaccinated and to have a ticket to enter public spaces in the city, which have been divided into designated "celebration zones".

Ms Capp said skyline fireworks were not occurring this year due to COVID-19, because the display attracted hundreds of thousands of people to the city.

She said the display was not in line with a COVID-safe line up of events.

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has been found guilty of five out of six charges of recruiting and grooming teenage girls to be sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein.

The verdict capped a monthlong trial featuring sordid accounts of the sexual exploitation of girls as young as 14, told by four women who described being abused as teens in the 1990s and early 2000s at Mr Epstein's palatial homes in Florida, New York and New Mexico.

The trial has been seen by some as a chance to hold both her and the late financier accountable.

Among the charges, she has been found guilty of sex trafficking a minor – punishable by up to 40 years in prison.

READ MORE: Maxwell 'participated' in Epstein's sexual assault on 14-year-old

Jurors deliberated for five full days before finding Ms Maxwell guilty of five of six counts.

As the verdict was read, Ms Maxwell appeared to show little reaction behind a black mask. She stood with her hands folded as the jury filed out, and glanced at her siblings as she herself was led from the courtroom, but was otherwise stoic.

Deliberations began December 20, halting after Wednesday for the Christmas holiday before resuming Monday.

She faces the likelihood of years in prison — an outcome long sought by women who spent years fighting in civil courts to hold Maxwell accountable for her role in recruiting and grooming Epstein's teenage victims and sometimes joining in the sexual abuse.

The defence had insisted Ms Maxwell was a victim of a vindictive prosecution devised to deliver justice to women deprived of their main villain when Mr Epstein killed himself while awaiting trial in 2019.

READ MORE: Ghislaine Maxwell declines to testify

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During the trial, prosecutors called 24 witnesses to give jurors a picture of life inside Epstein's homes — a subject of public fascination and speculation ever since his 2006 arrest in Florida in a child sex case.

A housekeeper testified he was expected to be "blind, deaf and dumb" about the private lives of Mr Epstein, a financier who cultivated friendships with influential politicians and business tycoons, and Ms Maxwell, who had led a jet-setting lifestyle as the favourite child of a media mogul.

Pilots took the witness stand and dropped the names of luminaries — Britain's Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump — who flew on Epstein's private jets.

Jurors saw physical evidence like a folding massage table once used by Mr Epstein and a "black book" that listed contact information for some of the victims under the heading "massages."

There were bank records showing he had transferred AUD $42 million to Ms Maxwell, his long-time companion — one-time girlfriend, later employee.

But the core of the prosecution was the testimony of four women who said they were victimised by Ms Maxwell and Mr Epstein at tender ages.

READ MORE: Teens left Jeffrey Epstein's home with '$100 bills', ex-boyfriend testifies

Three testified using first names or pseudonyms to protect their privacy: Jane, a television actress; Kate, a former model from Great Britain; and Carolyn, now a mom recovering from drug addiction.

The fourth was Annie Farmer, a psychologist who chose to use her real name after being vocal about her allegations in recent years.

They echoed one another in their descriptions of Maxwell's behaviour: She used charm and gifts to gain their trust, taking an interest in their adolescent challenges and giving them assurances that Mr Epstein could use his wealth and connections to fulfil their dreams.

They said the script would darken when Ms Maxwell coaxed them into giving massages to Mr Epstein that turned sexual, encounters she played off as normal: After one sexual massage, Kate, then 17, said Maxwell asked her if she'd had fun and told her: "You are such a good girl."

Prosecutors said Mr Epstein could not have sexually abused girls as young as 14 without Maxwell serving as his "lady of the house."

Ms Maxwell's lawyers claimed she is innocent.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.

One of the men injured in a skydiving accident in Wollongong yesterday says he feels lucky to be alive.

Emergency services were called to Stuart Park in North Wollongong yesterday after a tandem skydive went wrong.

The 55-year-old instructor, Mick, and his 27-year-old customer, Brooklan Frkovic, were aiming to land on the beach but became entangled in a pine tree, sending them crashing to the sand.

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"I have a screenshot in my mind of what it looked like coming into the sand," Mr Frkovic said.

The 55-year-old suffered a concussion, while Mr Frkovic sustained face, chest and pelvic injuries.

Both were transported to hospital in a stable condition.

It was Mr Frkovic's first time skydiving, a bucket list gift from his girlfriend for Christmas.

"The fact that me and Mick came out relatively okay, all things considered, is great," Mr Frkovic said.

READ MORE: Close contacts redefined and isolation period for COVID-19 cases reduced after National Cabinet meeting

Mr Frkovic said the accident happened very quickly.

"We sort of hit the ground and I think we bounced."

"I was quite breathless, so I was just trying to roll myself into a position where I could get my breath back."

READ MORE: NSW COVID-19 cases jump to over 12,000 as testing numbers plunge

After 24 hours, Mr Frkovic is healing well and hopes to be discharged from hospital tonight.

"It's a freak thing that happens," he said.

"It's like having a car crash, you get back in the car. So, I'll see I might do another one."

Skydive Australia is investigating the incident.

If you test positive for COVID-19, you'll be advised to isolate for anywhere from five days to two weeks. It all depends on where you live.

The United States and the United Kingdom have slashed their recommended self-isolation periods for asymptomatic people — and more countries may soon follow suit, as the highly transmissible Omicron variant threatens to keep hospital staff and other key workers at home.

In the US, people can now leave isolation if they don't have symptoms after five days, followed by five days in which they should wear a mask around others. Last week, the UK cut the period to seven days for people who produce two consecutive negative lateral flow (rapid) tests.

READ MORE: Pharmacies around Australia face mass shortage of rapid antigen tests

It comes amid record-setting case figures in both nations, and marks the first time since Omicron emerged that major countries have diverged from the World Health Organisation's recommended 10-day isolation period.

But most countries still follow the 10-day marker, while others, such as Germany, require up to 14 days in isolation. The disparities have led some to wonder exactly when, and how long, people are infectious with the Omicron variant.

READ MORE: Stark warning from man whose skin cancer spread to brain

The moves were made amid worries over the availability of key workers.

"If you are asymptomatic and you are infected, we want to get people back to their jobs — particularly those with essential jobs — to keep our society running smoothly," Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN this week.

But there is some emerging data behind the changes as well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said their decision was "motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after."

An early CDC study, released on Tuesday, examined an Omicron cluster in Nebraska and found that the time between exposure and infection — known as the incubation period — may be around three days. That's shorter than the Delta strain, which studies estimate has a four-day incubation period.

READ MORE: The strangest road rules of 2021

A similar study of a Christmas party in Norway in which dozens became infected found comparable results.

"There is accumulating evidence, for vaccinated people, that if we are asymptomatic we are very unlikely to be infectious after about five to seven days," Brown University's Associate Dean of Public Health, Dr Megan Ranney, said on Tuesday.

Emerging evidence that Omicron may be less severe than Delta likely played a role in the moves too.

But the new guidelines have still prompted some debate in the medical community, with experts yet to fully understand Omicron.

"For the unvaccinated, the data doesn't really back up that you become non-infectious after five days," Dr Ranney said.

"I'm quite worried about these new recommendations."

She suggested having different guidance for unvaccinated people until more data comes in — which could also have the "added boost" of encouraging people to take up the vaccine if they haven't already.

Erin Bromage, a biology professor at UMass Dartmouth, added on CNN Wednesday that there is "absolutely no data that I am aware of" to support the switch in guidance.

He added that people can still test positive on antigen tests up to seven or eight days after their initial test, even if they don't have symptoms. Unlike the UK, where antigen tests are more plentiful, the US guidance is not dependent on getting a negative result.

Omicron is nonetheless tearing through workforces in several countries, and it's likely more nations will shorten their isolation periods in the new year if the burden on hospitals grows.

"With the sheer volume of new cases, one of the things we want to be careful of is that we don't have so many people out," Dr Fauci said.

READ NOW: Extreme weather events Australia faced in 2021

Impact of COVID-19 in Latin America eases

Many countries in Latin America were hit with soaring COVID-19 death rates early in the pandemic, as coronavirus raged throughout the region.

The tide is turning in many Latin American nations today, where vaccination rates are outpacing countries in Europe and North America and helping drive down deaths, Tim Lister writes.

The vaccine rollout was slow at the start, with just getting the vaccines in hand a major issue. Just six months ago, Latin America and the Caribbean were reporting just under half of all COVID-19 related deaths worldwide.

Now, the region accounts for about 10 per cent of global COVID-19 related deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University. That's due to the accelerated delivery of European, American, Chinese and homegrown vaccines that a number of Latin American nations have received in the second half of this year, according to Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) data.

One reason for those successful vaccination campaigns can be chalked up to history: many countries in Latin America have long-standing and trusted national inoculation drives against other diseases, such as polio.

READ NOW: How Australia faced the emergence of the Omicron variant

It's time to upgrade your mask

As the Omicron variant continues to spread, some experts say it's past time to reconsider your face mask options, especially if you're still wearing the cloth variety.

"Cloth masks are little more than facial decorations. There's no place for them in light of Omicron," said CNN Medical Analyst Dr Leana Wen, an emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.

Ideally, in crowded places, "you should be wearing a KN95 or N95 mask," which can be as inexpensive as a few dollars each, Dr Wen added.

By having a better fit and certain materials — such as polypropylene fibres acting as both mechanical and electrostatic barriers — these masks better prevent tiny particles from getting into your nose or mouth and must be fitted to your face to function properly.

A new case of Covid-19 has been detected in Napier, it has been revealed tonight. The person was isolating at home with appropriate health and welfare supports in place, Hawke’s Bay District Health Board has confirmed. The Napier…

Police have confirmed a fire at Old Parliament House this morning was started by protesters.

The fire has caused significant damage to the front facade of the building, with protesters outside heard chanting "let it burn".

The protest was initially peaceful but later escalated, with police using pepper spray.

READ MORE: Close contacts redefined and isolation period for COVID-19 cases reduced after National Cabinet meeting

"It then got a little bit out of hand and then when ACT Police went to respond it was greatly exacerbated," Commander Linda Champion from ACT Police said.

No arrests have been made, however an investigation is underway.

It is believed the protesters are part of an anti-vaccination group, however Commander Champion did not provide any details about them, pointing to the ongoing investigation.

She added there had been several protests outside the front of the building in the last few weeks.

ACT Fire and Rescue superintendent Sam Evans confirmed police and firefighters were called to the historic building around 11.45, after receiving multiple Triple Zero calls.

The building was evacuated as firefighters tended to the blaze.

READ MORE: Victoria's COVID-19 death toll surges as state records 5137 new cases

The fire was put out within 15 minutes, but extensive damage to the front of the building and portico had already been done.

The museum will remain closed for some time, as investigations continue and the extent of the damage is assessed.

Mr Evans said smoke from the fire and water from the building's sprinkler system had caused damage, but the fire did not spread.

READ MORE: Over 50 firefighters work to contain Sydney blaze

"It's been confined to the front facade of the building," he said.

Andrew Harper from the Australian Museum said Old Parliament House would be closed temporarily.

"Obviously we're devastated by the damage to the building," Mr Harper said.

He added the destroyed front doors were an iconic part of the building, part of the original 1927 structure.

It's unclear whether the collection inside has been damaged.

Melbourne chef Adrian Richardson, who witnessed the blaze, has told 3AW he saw the front balcony above the front steps burst into flames.

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He said protesters near the site were chanting "let it burn".

"There's a lot of police, there's a lot of police with flags all waiving and screaming, a lot of fire trucks," he told Shane McInnes.

The fourth wave of COVID-19 was marked with the emergence of the Omicron variant, which was first identified in southern Africa.

A missing woman has been found after police spotted a car that has crashed down the side of a bank on a South Island highway. Jylesza Needham left Nelson yesterday morning for Christchurch and was reported missing this morning.She…