Australia records its deadliest day of COVID; hospitals see a flood of patients

Australia recorded its highest number of daily COVID deaths of the pandemic Tuesday, 74, and the state of Victoria declared a state of emergency for its hospital system, which is buckling under the strain of staff illness and soaring coronavirus cases.

James Merlino, Victoria’s deputy premier, said the emergency measure could postpone leave for thousands of health care workers and defer nonessential services. It will take effect at noon Wednesday.

“We’ve got more than 4,000 health care workers unavailable right now, alongside a vast number of patients with COVID-19 who require hospitalisation,” Merlino said.

On Tuesday, 1,152 people were hospitalized for the coronavirus in the state and 127 were in intensive care, with 43 of those on a ventilator. In the past two days, 11 people have died of the coronavirus, Merlino said, adding that cases were expected to spike in the next two to four weeks.

“We’ve got to act now,” he said.

Melbourne, the city of more than 5 million that is Victoria’s capital, endured among the lengthiest lockdowns in the world last year in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. More than 93 percent of the state’s residents older than 12 have received two vaccine doses. But with the easing of lockdowns and remote learning, along with the emergence of the omicron variant, thousands have been sickened.

On Tuesday, the federal government said that it would send up to 57,000 nurses and more than 100,000 other health care workers from private hospitals to help omicron-affected areas, as well as activate the national medical stockpile to address shortages of tests and personal protective equipment.

The previous daily record for COVID deaths in the country was 59, in September 2020.

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