Australia yesterday recorded 43 COVID-19-related deaths, as it readies to welcome international tourists tomorrow for the first time in nearly two years.
The country, which shut its borders in March 2020, has been gradually reopening since November last year, allowing first Australians to travel, then international students and workers, and now leisure travelers.
Once a champion of a “zero COVID-19” strategy, the country has moved to live with the virus in the community, as high COVID-19 vaccination rates have resulted in less severe cases and fewer hospitalizations.
Even Western Australia, a mining-heavy state that has kept strict borders controls for almost 700 days, has said that it can cope with an outbreak of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 and would reopen to triple-vaccinated visitors.
The state yesterday recorded 257 new community infections, its highest yet, but no deaths.
Australia’s deaths were reported mainly in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland — states that continue to see several thousand daily cases or more.
Victoria, Australia’s second-most populous state, is tomorrow to open a new quarantine hub for unvaccinated international residents.
“The Omicron variant has shown us we must continue to be flexible in our pandemic response — and the purpose-built [hub] will be vital to how we manage pandemics today and into the future,” said Victoria Minister for Police Lisa Neville, who is responsible for supervising quarantines.
Fully vaccinated Australians and foreigners are not required to quarantine in managed facilities.
New Zealand — which keeps its borders nearly fully shut — recorded 1,901 local cases, one of its highest daily tallies.
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