# Australia COVID numbers hit a peak as Omicron outbreak strains domestic politics Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2021-12-28 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Australia faces record COVID surge, economy reopening disrupted Meta Description: Australia records 10,269 new COVID-19 cases, faces disruptions to economy reopening due to Omicron variant outbreak. State leaders clash over domestic border URL: https://financedigest.com/australia-covid-numbers-hit-a-peak-as-omicron-outbreak-strains-domestic-politicshtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2021-12-28t015032z2lynxmpehbr00yrtroptp4health-coronavirus-australia-1-1736836534970-compressed.jpg) SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia recorded another record surge in COVID-19 infections on Tuesday as an outbreak of the highly infectious Omicron variant disrupted reopening of the economy, while state leaders argued over domestic border controls. The country reported 10,269 new cases of the coronavirus in the previous day, according to a Reuters calculation of state figures, once again surpassing its peak of a day earlier, as it grapples with a planned reopening while the new variant rages. The state of South Australia, which has been experiencing a flare-up, was yet to report its latest numbers. There were five COVID-19 [deaths reported](https://www.financedigest.com/strong-nighttime-earthquake-jolts-sleeping-mexicans-at-least-one-death-reported.html "Strong nighttime earthquake jolts sleeping Mexicans, at least one death reported"), taking the total fatalities to just over 2,200 since the start of the pandemic. Authorities did not specify whether any of the new deaths were related to the Omicron variant. The Omicron variant, which [medical experts say](https://www.financedigest.com/the-icu-is-full-medical-staff-on-frontline-of-chinas-covid-fight-say-hospitals-are-overwhelmed.html "‘The ICU is full’: medical staff on frontline of China’s COVID fight say hospitals are ‘overwhelmed’") is more transmissible but less virulent than previous strains, began to spread in Australia just as the country got underway with plans to reopen for good after nearly two years of stop-start lockdowns. With the resumption of rising case numbers – despite a [vaccination rate of more than 90% for Australians aged over 16 – the country’s state leaders have brought back](https://www.financedigest.com/fda-advisers-back-the-same-covid-vaccine-for-initial-shots-boosters.html "FDA advisers back the same COVID vaccine for initial shots, boosters") some containment measures like mandatory mask-wearing and QR code check-ins at public venues. The rising case numbers have also led to mandatory self-isolation for [thousands of workers](https://www.financedigest.com/thousands-of-british-postal-workers-walk-out-over-pay.html "Thousands of British postal workers walk out over pay") in the hospitality, entertainment and airline sectors – the sectors worst hit by lockdowns – resulting in cancelled theatre shows, closed restaurants and postponed flights. The outbreak has also fuelled a resumption of fractious domestic politics which defined much of the pandemic as some states resist [calls to remove internal border controls](https://www.financedigest.com/eu-lawmakers-call-for-summit-to-control-very-powerful-ai.html "EU lawmakers call for summit to control ‘very powerful’ AI"). New South Wales (NSW), [home to Sydney and a third](https://www.financedigest.com/still-living-at-home-a-third-of-the-nation-cant-afford-to-rent.html "Still living at home? A third of the nation can’t afford to rent") of Australia’s 25 million population, called on neighbouring Queensland to shift from mandatory clinical testing at the point of origin to on-the-spot rapid antigen testing for people travelling there. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said a quarter of clinical tests in his state were “tourism tests” for asymptomatic people, bringing huge pressure of the health system, long testing [queues and wait times](https://www.financedigest.com/the-queens-queue-a-portrait-of-our-times.html "The queen’s queue: A portrait of our times") of several days for results. In one case, a Sydney testing clinic sent incorrect negative test [results to 400 COVID-positive people](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-pm-sunak-election-results-show-people-want-us-to-deliver-for-them.html "UK PM Sunak: Election results show people want us to deliver for them"), then prematurely sent 950 people negative results when 486 were actually positive. The bungle was the result of [“human error](https://www.financedigest.com/outthink-raises-10-million-to-tackle-human-errors-behind-data-breaches.html "OutThink raises million to tackle human errors behind data breaches"), and when people are under pressure, human errors are more frequent”, said Hazzard. He [called on Queensland to scrap mandatory clinical tests](https://www.financedigest.com/s-korea-calls-for-talks-as-n-korea-test-fires-missiles.html "S.Korea calls for talks as N.Korea test fires missiles") immediately, rather than after Jan. 1 as planned, but the Queensland authorities said the [policy was working](https://www.financedigest.com/beijing-nervously-returns-to-work-as-china-doubles-down-on-zero-covid-policy.html "Beijing nervously returns to work as China doubles down on ‘zero-COVID’ policy"). Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath instead said the state would remove another [testing rule for interstate arrivals:](https://www.financedigest.com/china-arrivals-in-uk-next-week-will-not-face-compulsory-covid-tests-independent.html "China arrivals in UK next week will not face compulsory COVID tests -Independent") people arriving in the state would no longer have to take a virus test five days after arriving. Australia’s international border remains effectively closed, but [Australian nationals may return without mandatory hotel quarantine and the country has said it would allow certain skilled workers](https://www.financedigest.com/apples-australian-workers-go-on-christmas-strike-demanding-better-wages-work-terms.html "Apple’s Australian workers go on Christmas strike demanding better wages, work terms") and foreign students in. (Reporting by Byron Kaye; Editing by Michael Perry and Raju Gopalakrishnan) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. 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