Australian states urge Omicron not to “panic and overreact” Coronavirus pandemic

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says Australians need to learn to live with COVID-19.

Australian heads of state should not be “frightened and overreacted” to the outbreaks of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, federal treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on Thursday as some states ease the cuts despite rising cases.

New South Wales and Victoria, home to more than half of Australia’s nearly 26 million people, on Wednesday pushed back the harshest cuts, including for those without vaccines, as the double-dose vaccine level for people over 16 was over 90 per cent.

More relaxation has come when New South Wales, the headquarters of Sydney, reported its biggest case since the pandemic began on Thursday. The state reported 1,742 new cases, eclipsing an increase of 420 a week ago. A total of 1,622 new infections have been reported in Victoria, the largest in almost seven weeks.

In the wake of the rise in social distance rules, Frydenberg urged state leaders not to “panic”.

“Don’t overreact, show compassion and make sense. Understand that we have to live with the virus … [No one] he wants to get back to the blockades, “Frydenberg told Seven News as he wants to deliver a mid-year budget review later Thursday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is urging people to focus less on the number of cases and more on hospitalization rates, which are still low, although some experts have called for tightening restrictions to stop the spread of Omicron tension.

Spread faster

“Nowhere else in the world has decided to say that this new variant seems to be spreading much faster, so let’s calm down the restrictions,” epidemiologist Nancy Baxter told ABC.

Authorities have warned that the number of daily infections could rise to 25,000 in New South Wales by the end of January, as Omicron infections rise.

Australia, which has so far recorded 239,000 COVID-19 cases and about 2,126 deaths, has reduced the wait for booster shots after the Omicron case was detected more than two weeks ago.