Coronavirus: Australia tracks down Taylor Swift fans at ‘super-spreader’ party; Japan moves up booster shots, cuts interval for seniors
- Covid-19 cases, including the Omicron variant, have been spreading in pubs and nightclubs as social distancing curbs ease in Australia
- Elsewhere, Japan moves up booster shots, cuts interval for seniors, while New Zealand will stick to border easing plans in early 2022 even as it keeps an eye on Omicron
Australian authorities on Friday rushed to track down hundreds who attended a Taylor Swift album party in Sydney last week that has become a super-spreading event as cases in the country hit a new pandemic high for the second straight day.
Covid-19 infections, including the new, more transmissible Omicron variant, have been spreading in pubs and nightclubs as social distancing curbs ease after higher vaccination levels.
Despite the surge in cases, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia had entered “a different phase of the pandemic” and ruled out lockdowns to contain the spread of the virus.
“Case numbers are no longer the metric … the real measure is what does it mean for serious illness, (intensive care), hospitalisation, pressures on the hospital system,” he said on Friday.
Morrison said initial signs suggest the Omicron variant could be less severe than other variants.
At least 97 cases, including some potential Omicron ones, have been detected among people who attended the Taylor Swift theme party. More than 600 people who checked in at the venue must test and self-isolate but officials flagged there could have been more guests.