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Firefighters are continuing to battle out-of-control bushfires throughout Western Australia today as temperatures soar above 38 degrees, wreaking havoc across the state.

WA Premier Mark McGowan has addressed the media today, describing the blazes as "unforgiving".

He said that of the two major fires burning, each have now each been contained but one is yet to be controlled.

"I want to acknowledge the firefighters and other workers who are sacrificing team time with their families to battle the bushfire emergency," Mr McGowan said.

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"The conditions have been unforgiving, strong winds mixed with sweltering conditions.

"People have been risking their lives to save properties and animals that belong to complete strangers."

The premier said that Margaret River fire had now been contained "but not controlled" and is currently moving in a south-westerly direction.

About 100 hectares around the region have burnt, with more than 100 firefighters on the ground working to contain the blaze.

The cause of the fire at Margaret River is currently under investigation, Mr McGowan added, with several roads still shut off to the public.

The fire burning at Perth Hills is now "contained and stationary", however authorities have warned of the risk that burning embers pose.

"Burning embers are still of concern, with about 165 hectares having been burnt," Mr McGowan said.

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"Ariel support is currently assisting, including a large air tanker.

"An evacuation centre has been established and some roads are still closed in parts of Wooroloo."

At least one house has been lost in the fire, with three outbuildings "also impacted".

Lives have been threatened all weekend during a record-breaking hot spell which started before Christmas.

Extreme temperatures paired with strong winds have created ideal conditions for blazes, with conditions set to continue throughout the day.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued extreme fire danger warnings for Gascoyne Inland, Coastal Central West, Inland Central West and North, while a severe fire danger warning has been issued for the Lower West (including Perth), Pilbara, Gascoyne Coast, North Interior, Coastal Central West and South, Inland Central West and South and Ninghan.

Overnight, firefighters warned residents in some parts of Wooroloo, Chidlow and Gidgegannup, north-east of Perth, and parts of Treeton and Osmington near Margaret River to evacuate immediately.

"If the way is clear, leave now for a safer place," the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said in an emergency bushfire warning.

"Do not wait and see, leaving at the last minute is deadly."

The situation is even more serious in Warrigal Estate, where people have been told to shelter in their homes as "leaving now would be deadly".

Hundreds of firefighters and dozens of firefighting appliances — including a large air tanker — are battling the flames across the state.

Emergency WA has issued a range of bushfire warnings and alerts for residents across several areas.

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It's deja vu for Wooroloo locals still recovering from the fire that destroyed 86 homes in February.

Resident Jan Rose described the fires as "really scary stuff".

"I think it would be a silly person to say that they didn't feel overwhelmed and worried at this particular time," Ms Rose said.

A number of structures have been set alight. Firefighters are not yet sure whether the buildings on fire are homes or sheds but they are doing everything they can to save them.

Another inferno raged just metres from homes last night.

It was 1.30am and 30 degrees in the Perth suburb of Hilbert when bushland burst into flames.

Police say arsonists are behind not one but two bushfires in the area overnight.

Rik Mills from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said both fires had burned through a combined 30 hectares.

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"Both fires are considered suspicious at this time," he said.

As firefighters worked to put out the fires, 10,000 homes across Perth spent Christmas in the dark, with the suburb of Roleystone also cut off from the water supply.

Resident Michelle Stirling's fears her alpacas won't make it through the week, with only a limited water supply on-site.

Perth had its hottest Christmas Day on record.

Western Power insists it is working on reconnecting homes by midnight but is making no promises.

"It's 100 kilometres of network and in some really heavy bush area," Zane Christmas from Western Power said.

"The fire danger index is really high so we need to carefully patrol the network before we switch it on."

As the situation is constantly changing, visit the Emergency WA website for the latest alerts and warnings.

Qantas will return its Airbus A380 to the sky, after almost two years since its last commercial flight.

The A380 will return to service on January 11 with a journey from Sydney to Los Angeles.

The airline said it ferried one A380 from storage in November for crew training and as an operational spare ahead of the busy summer holiday period.

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However, this flexibility is now needed to replace flying that was scheduled to performed by the airline's 787s.

About 70 Qantas 787 pilots are Queensland-based and are required to undertake 14 days isolation after each international service, which reduces their availability to operate, a spokesperson said.

The company said the returned A380 has almost double the number of seats as the 787.

As a result of the replacement, Qantas will make several changes to its flying schedule for the month of January.

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From January 10, the Sydney-Los Angeles service will be reduced from a daily 787 service to three weekly A380 services and one weekly 787 service.

The first A380 flight will commence on January 11.

In addition to this, the Melbourne-London service will be reduced from daily 787 service to up to four weekly services.

Meanwhile, the Melbourne-Los Angeles schedule will be reduced from four weekly 787 services to three.

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The Queensland Government has indicated it will relax restrictions on international travel when 90 per cent of the state is double vaccinated, which is estimated to occur in late January.

"We brought one A380 back early knowing it would give us some flexibility over the busy summer holiday period if we needed it," a Qantas spokesperson said.

"Having the aircraft and the crew ready to go means we're able to plug some of the gap created by having so many 787 pilots stuck with quarantine rules."

Hundreds of people are being turned away from COVID-19 testing clinics, while others are camping out in their cars to ensure they receive a swab, as long lines continue to cause chaos around the country.

People are also waiting days for results, upsetting travel plans and leaving potential COVID-19 sufferers confined.

State Secretary for the Health Services Union, Gerard Hayes , told 2GB radio COVID-19 testing sites are being packed because people are required to get tested before they go on holiday.

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While he acknowledged that no testing system " is ever going to be perfect", he said that there could be "easier and better ways" to be handling the huge demand.

"I think it's a ridiculous situation, and something should be done about it," he said.

Mr Hayes added healthcare workers have been "been chronically fatigued for 18 months".

"We've now got a new version of the virus and we've got to be fit for purpose for 2022. And I don't think that we've been doing [that] up until now," he said.

The clinic on Plough Inn Road at Leumeah in Sydney's south-west has already closed, with police warning people to avoid it.

Barriers have also been erected at a clinic at nearby Liverpool, before mid-morning.

Further north, cars are also being turned away at Adcock Park in West Gosford.

At Coffs Harbour, some people have been queueing since 11pm yesterday, making the choice to sleep in their car rather than risk missing out.

Hundreds of cars are already lined up, with health authorities urgently requesting help from SES for traffic management.

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Police have also warned that the testing clinic at Cessnock in the Hunter Valley would be closing at 11am today.

Navodhya was one of the many who was turned away from the Parramatta Western Sydney University COVID-19 testing clinic this morning.

"We got there at nine and the line was blocking the road. It was like all down the road. I couldn't even see where the start [of the line] was," she said.

A police officer told Navodhya she wouldn't be able to get a test as the clinic was closing at 12 due to reduced hours and had already reached capacity.

"It was annoying because we just knew we wouldn't be able to go anywhere else," she said.

Like many people around the country trying to get a test before going away on holidays, Navodhya said it's left her feeling a little apprehensive.

"I think if we didn't have pregnant friend coming with us I'd be probably more okay just using the [rapid] test. It's a bit concerning that we can't be extra safe for her sake to get that proper test."

Queues also began early in Melbourne, where congestion has overwhelmed testing centres in recent days.

The state government is considering allowing asymptomatic people to clear themselves with a rapid antigen test at home.

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If it returns a positive result the person will need to queue for a PCR test, but it's thought that the decision would ease pressure on health workers.

Hundreds of Queensland health workers are also struggling to get a test, telling 9News they were having to queue for hours.

So far, 55 health workers have tested positive for COVID-19, while a further 300 are in isolation.

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Wait times in Queensland were around five hours.

Currently, Queensland and Tasmania are the only states to require a negative PCR test for incoming travellers.

Long wait for results

Even after spending hours in a queue – assuming they get there early enough – there's no guarantee of a quick result.

Wait times of up to six days and counting have been reported by frustrated people.

In Queensland, the average wait time for results was 72 hours.

The delays are being blamed on the excessive queues – though Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said today that the closure of private providers during the holiday period had added to the pressures on health workers.

In New South Wales, police have urged people to not get tested unless they have symptoms or have been directed to do so by authorities.

There have been cases of people being turned back at the Queensland border, due to their test results not coming through in time.

An expert in COVID-19 testing says the mistake which saw 400 people given the wrong test results shows rapid antigen testing needs to be rolled out to relieve the pressure on PCR sites.

Histopath's operations director Greg Granger, who used to work at SydPath, which was responsible for the blunder, said the mistake shows the system is "overwhelmed."

"I can certainly confirm that the pressure is overwhelming and that alternative sources need to be found," he told Today.

"The rapid antigen testing is one that comes to mind.

"I can say with complete authority the systems they have there are entirely robust and the team in microbiology are world class."

He said pathology staff worked over Christmas and even if more sites were added, there wouldn't be staff to man them.

"This extraordinary demand is only going to get worse," he warned. "It is of concern for me. And it really should be a concern for the entire sector."

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A Sydney laboratory has advised almost 1000 more people they were COVID-19 negative when in fact the results had not yet been determined.

It comes after SydPath, St Vincent's Pathology, advised more than 400 people infected with COVID-19 they were negative.

Now, a further 995 people have received an SMS from SydPath saying they were negative to the virus when the results had not been confirmed.

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https://twitter.com/cokeefe9/status/1475304886254256130

"The emergency response team investigating the cause of this error, has now identified approximately 995 more people, tested on 23 and 24 December, were prematurely sent an SMS advising them their test was negative when in fact their true result had not yet been determined," SydPath said in a statement.

"All of these people have been contacted and advised of the error.

"They have been advised they will receive their accurate test results by tonight."

SydPath has apologised for the mistake and said they have identified what occurred, and is related "to a specific human error".

"This event comes at a time of unprecedented COVID-testing activity and SydPath's people, as with all pathology teams throughout NSW, are working around the clock to respond," SydPath said in the statement.

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SydPath medical director Professor Anthony Dodds read out a statement to the media on Sunday afternoon when the intitial mistake was revealed, blaming the "very large volume of tests that we've been contending with".

It comes as lengthy COVID-19 testing lines continue in Sydney today.

People are also waiting days for results, upsetting travel plans and leaving potential COVID-19 sufferers confined.

Premier Dominc Perrottet urged people yesterday to only get a PCR test if they are symptomatic or if they have been advised by NSW Health.

"I know there are long queues right across our state, so if you do not feel unwell there is no need to receive a PCR test. You are taking a spot in the queue from somebody who needs a test," he said.

"We just don't believe that the requirement of a PCR test for somebody who is not unwell is actually supportive of that view."

READ MORE: WA fires force evacuations, others warned 'leaving now would be deadly'

NSW recorded 6324 new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

Three more deaths of people with COVID-19 were also reported, including the first known linked to the Omicron variant – a man in his 80s from Western Sydney.

Children in Queensland aged five to 11-years-old will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination from January 10 next year, the government has announced.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palasczuk said the new allowances would take effect in time for the 2022 school term, urging parents to book their kids in for the jab ahead of time.

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"I know there are a lot of parents and carers in Queensland who are keen to get their children protected against this virus and that's understandable," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"The vaccination rollout has happened in a staged approach and from 10 January is available for kids aged 5 to 11."

She urged parents to book their children's vaccinations now, to ensure families who wish to get their kids vaccinated can do so before school starts January 24.

"That's two weeks for kids to get their first shot and acquire a layer of protection before the school year begins," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"We've seen an excellent uptake in vaccination from children aged 12 to 15 and we expect a similarly positive response from parents of younger kids."

READ MORE: People waiting almost a week for COVID-19 results amid testing chaos

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved the vaccine for this age group earlier this month.

Children aged five to 11 will receive two doses of the vaccine, eight weeks apart.

Vaccines will be available through government run clinics, pharmacies and GPS, as well as Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services.

"We're witnessing how important the vaccine is. Despite the number of cases, there are very few patients ill enough to be in intensive care," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"We want every Queenslander protected."

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