There's hope that the current Omicron sub variant wave will be in decline again just in time for Christmas - but like everything COVID, it's hard to know for sure.

Both case loads and hospitalisations due to COVID have continued to increase in the last week.

The latest advice from state health authorities say that overseas experience suggests the current wave might pass relatively quickly, though they warn local conditions may mean it's different here.

So what do we know about the latest wave? And is it better to have a quick one, or one that lasts for a longer time?