Record COVID case numbers reported in 2 Australia states

SYDNEY – Australia’s Victoria and Queensland states reported grounds levels of caller regular coronavirus infections connected Tuesday arsenic unit connected investigating centers prompted calls for wider usage of accelerated antigen tests.

Queensland authorities reported 1,158 cases, the archetypal clip the authorities has seen much than 1,000 cases successful a day, but hospitalizations remained low. The authorities has much than 4,000 progressive cases of which 257 are reported to beryllium the omicron variant.

State Health Minister Yvette D’Ath announced Tuesday that travelers from retired of authorities nary longer volition person to person a PCR trial 5 days aft arrival. D’Ath said of the tens of thousands who had crossed the state’s borders recently, lone 0.6 percent had tested affirmative connected time five.

“Anyone who is waiting successful lines present for the time 5 trial . . . volition not beryllium required to get time 5 tests from now,” she said. “We convey everyone for doing the close thing. We person made definite we’ve done this successful a harmless and liable mode but from now, that nary longer applies.”

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Victoria authorities reported 2,738 caller cases Tuesday, beating the erstwhile authorities grounds of 2,297 cases successful mid-October.

Australia’s most-populous state, New South Wales, saw a flimsy autumn successful lawsuit numbers but that corresponded with less tests astir Christmas Day. The authorities reported 6,062 caller infections Tuesday, down from 6,324 a time earlier.

New South Wales Heath Minister Brad Hazzard said the request for travelers to Queensland to person a antagonistic PCR trial 72 hours earlier departure was putting unnecessary strain connected investigating facilities. He said successful enforcing the requirement, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was “perverting the purposes of pathology testing.”

“If Queensland thinks radical are arriving escaped of COVID, that’s not needfully true,” Hazzard said. “These tests person been done 3 oregon 4 days earlier arriving. It’s counterproductive.

“This regularisation is contributing to the breakdown of the biggest pathology strategy successful the country. We are not getting the turnaround times we need.”

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Long lines were reported astatine investigating centers astir Sydney connected Tuesday.

Australian national Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has called for accelerated antigen tests to regenerate PCR tests for astir interstate travelers, to relieve unit connected investigating centers.

“Using that accelerated antigen trial up of interstate question is simply a amended attack than the much costly and clip consuming PCR test,” Frydenberg told the ABC. “I deliberation that’s a sensible equilibrium recognizing that radical privation immoderate level of surety astir their wellness presumption earlier they travel.

“But astatine the aforesaid clip they privation to debar the agelong queues and agelong waiting times coming with the PCR tests.”

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