Coronavirus: Australia sees record deaths as hospitals fill up amid Omicron wave; Indonesia lifts ban on foreign arrivals

A total of 77 deaths was recorded, exceeding the previous high of 57 last Thursday

Elsewhere, Japan’s government is set to put greater Tokyo and other parts of the country under a state of quasi-emergency for three weeks

4-MIN READ4-MIN

Tourists sit at a beach in Canggu, Indonesia’s Bali. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 11:45am, 18 Jan 2022Updated: 2:50pm, 18 Jan 2022

Australia on Tuesday suffered its deadliest day of the pandemic as a fast-moving Omicron outbreak continued to push up hospitalisation rates to record levels, even as daily infections eased slightly.

A total of 77 deaths was recorded, exceeding the previous national high of 57 last Thursday, official data showed.

“Today, is a very difficult day for our state,” New South Wales (NSW) Premier Dominic Perrottet said during a media briefing as the state reported 36 deaths, a new high.

Only four of those who died in NSW had received their booster shot, prompting the state’s health officials to urge people to avoid delays and get their third dose soon. Thirty-three were double-dosed.

“There needs to be a sense of urgency in embracing the booster doses,” NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said. “For Omicron, we know that the protection is lower and we need that next boosting to get that higher level of protection.”

Amid rising hospitalisation, Victoria on Tuesday declared a “code brown” in hospitals, typically reserved for shorter-term emergencies, that would give medical centres the power to cancel non-urgent health services and cancel staff leave.