Sydney, Jul 25 (BUS): The number of Australians hospitalized with COVID-19 has reached a record high of nearly 5,450 as the spread of new highly contagious sub-variants of Omicron strained the health care system nationwide.
The number has risen since late June, with BA.4 and BA.5 strains becoming prevalent because they can evade immune protection, both from vaccination and previous infections, while some experts say the latter can be as contagious as measles, Reuters reported.
The number of hospitalizations is the highest since the coronavirus emerged, surpassing the January high of 5,390 during the first wave of Omicron infections. The daily death toll also rose, exceeding 100 on Saturday for the first time.
More than 1,000 nursing homes have suffered from the outbreak, the government said, with the elderly most affected.
Defense Secretary Richard Marles said that with many aged care centers facing staff shortages, support for defense personnel at such facilities is set to be extended through the end of September.
During the harsh winter with both COVID-19 and the flu virus spreading, authorities have recommended the use of masks indoors and urgent booster doses of the vaccine, with companies asking to be allowed to work from home.
ZHB