Australia records the deadliest day of the epidemic, with 80 deaths

CANBERRA, Australia – Australia on Friday reported the deadliest day of the pandemic with 80 deaths from the coronavirus, as the outbreak of the omicron variant continued to take its toll.

But Dominic Perrottet, prime minister of the most populous state of New South Wales, said a small drop in hospital admissions gave him some hope about the strain the outbreak is placing on the health system.

The previous record of 78 deaths was set on Tuesday. There have been just under 3,000 coronavirus deaths in Australia since the start of the pandemic.

New South Wales, home to Sydney, has recorded a record 46 deaths. They included an infant who died of COVID-19 in December, one of several historical cases investigated.

The news came after Western Australia’s prime minister, Mark McGowan, backtracked on his promise to reopen the state to the rest of the country on February 2. 5.

During a press conference Thursday, McGowan said reopening the state as planned would be “reckless and irresponsible” given the large number of COVID-19 cases in other states. No new date has been set for when the state can ease border closures.

The border decision means that neither Prime Minister Scott Morrison nor opposition leader Anthony Albanian can campaign in the state for now. Elections are scheduled for May 21.