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"These are numbers you get in England," Swan said. Sydney resident Rodney Swan expressed frustration at what he called the government's jumbled message and says he's shocked at the sharp increase of case numbers. Health experts say the surge can be attributed to two things: Politicians were hesitant to go back on promises made before Omicron that they would relax restrictions such as mask mandates, and the emergence of the highly contagious Omicron. While deaths and hospitalizations have remained relatively low, the vaccines have not stopped the spread of the virus.Īustralia's vaccine program began much later than many other Western countries, so a large portion of the population is not yet qualified for a booster.Īcross Australia's population of 26 million, there are more than 600,000 active cases of COVID. Thomas owns Anthem Entertainment, an entertainments and events company whose bookings are drying up and it's facing its 23 rd consecutive month of financial loss.Īround 80 percent of Australia's population has received at least one jab of the vaccine, including Thomas, who stayed home for 262 days and received the vaccination. for days and months on end.' And then you're told, 'Okay, we've put in the hard yards,'" Melbourne resident Rav Thomas told the Associated Press. "Tell your population, 'Stay in your houses, you can't go past your letterbox after 8 p.m. In Melbourne in October 2021, the city began to lift its restrictions however, Omicron caused the COVID-19-free paradise to ultimately lockdown once again.Īustralians are questioning why their country is infested with the virus after doing everything it could to stop it. Strict border policies and a high vaccination rate kept Australia largely sealed off for two years. "My government is for keeping Australia open and pushing through." "Omicron has changed everything," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this week. In recent months, Australia's government has gone from the "COVID-zero" approach to "live with it," leaving many of their residents confused. Other states have fewer cases.Australia has been the most locked-down country since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, but residents are growing frustrated with cases still rising. New South Wales, home to Sydney, became the first Australian state to top 3,000 COVID-19 daily infections, while neighbouring Victoria logged 1,245 cases. The number of people in hospitals has been creeping up, but remains far lower than during the Delta wave.Īround 4,600 cases were reported in Australia on Tuesday, exceeding the previous high of some 4,100 over the weekend. But most of the country has been reopening over the last few weeks after higher inoculations despite the threat from the Omicron variant.Īuthorities are now aiming to ramp up the rollout of booster shots with Morrison urging states to reopen hundreds of immunisation hubs shut down after demand slowed when double-dose rates in people above 16 years topped 80%.ĭespite the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said "only a fraction" of those cases were ending up in hospitals. Swift lockdowns and strict social distancing rules have helped Australia to keep its COVID-19 numbers relatively low at around 260,000 total cases and 2,154 deaths.
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People walk through a street market in the city centre, as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination rates continue to rise, in Sydney, Australia, November 19, 2021.