Omicron Variant Wave, Australia Sets New Record Of Daily COVID-19 Infection Cases

Illustration of a COVID-19 vaccination center in New South Wales, Australia. (Wikimedia Commons/Jass908)

JAKARTA - Australia saw a spike in cases of COVID-19 infection due to the Omicron variant on Thursday, leaving many patients hospitalized, while isolation rules led to labor shortages, weighing on businesses and supply chains.

With Thursday's tally still incomplete, Australia has so far reported 72.392 new infections, exceeding the record 64.774 cases set the day before. Meanwhile, Western Australia will upload new case reports later.

This has put Prime Minister Scott Morrison under pressure over his handling of the Omicron outbreak, due to shortages in stock of antigen tests and long waiting times at testing centers ahead of upcoming federal elections.

Successfully containing the COVID-19 caseload through aggressive lockdowns early in the pandemic, Australia now suffers from a significantly higher infection rate than anywhere else in the Asia-Pacific region. Some Kangaroo State epidemiologists predict the worst is yet to come.

On Thursday, the government canceled Novak Djokovic's visa to calm public anger over the decision to grant the world number one a medical exemption from vaccinations to play at the Australian Open.

Meanwhile, authorities have relaxed testing requirements and have shortened quarantine periods for asymptomatic close contacts after concerns essential services might be overrun.

To ease the pressure on businesses, the government of New South Wales (NSW) is urging companies to avoid asking staff, who may have been exposed to the virus, to self-test if they are not showing any symptoms.

"They shouldn't be required to get tested. It's going to take some time for behavior change, because for the last two years we've been telling (everyone) to go and get tested," NSW Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet told radio station 2GB on Thursday, citing Reuters January 6.

To note, around 50 percent of truck drivers are isolated due to COVID-19 protocols, putting Australia's supply chain under "significant stress", the transport union said on Wednesday.