New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, on Friday unveiled a set of new pandemic restrictions and testing protocols as a record rise in new Covid-19 infections fueled by the omicron variant threatens to upend the nation's plan to live with the virus.
People queue at a testing clinic.
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New South Wales reported a record 38,625 new cases on Friday, with active hospitalizations hitting 1,738.
In an effort to curb the outbreak, state premier Dominic Perrottet announced new restrictions including a ban on singing and dancing in most public venues.
Kerry Chant, the state's Chief Health Officer, noted that singing and dancing at public venues were being targeted as these activities bring together people from different social groups and help accelerate the virus' spread.
Perrottet announced the suspension of all elective surgeries until February as the state braces for a lot of new Covid-19 hospitalizations.
The state leader said that booster shots will be compulsory for people working in high-risk settings.
The Covid-19 testing protocols have been updated to allow residents to register their positive rapid antigen tests with the state without having to take an additional test.
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The number of Covid-19 hospitalizations in the state could rise to 6,000 by the end of the month according to the health authorities. Even a slightly less grim scenario could see that number reach 4,700. 3,800 medical workers are in isolation after testing positive for the virus, which could put a severe strain on the state's medical systems.
The number is big.
98.7%. The percentage of eligible New South Wales residents that have been fully vaccined against Covid-19, according to a tracker run by the Sydney Morning Herald. Australia is one of the most highly vaccined countries in the world, with over 85% of its eligible population fully inoculated.
The key background.
The federal government's living with Covid strategy has come under scrutiny as omicron fuels a surge in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations in Australia. In the past few weeks, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has called for more personal responsibility from people. He didn't put much stock in case counts because omicron appears to be less severe than the delta variant. Morrison decried "heavy-handed" government action and urged state and local authorities to shift away from a culture of mandates. Local leaders may be forced to ditch that advice if the surge in cases puts pressure on hospitals in the country's two most populous states. Singapore and the U.K., which embraced the 'living with the virus' stance, reintroduced restrictions at various points last year after being hit by the more infectious delta and omicron variant.
There are some virus restrictions back in Australia.
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