Good morning. Experts are urging action on the worsening Covid situation in Australia as a rise in hospital admissions and medicine and staff shortages threaten to form a “perfect storm”. In the UK, record temperatures have caused havoc, sparking massive fires around London.
“Pretty scary” Covid hospital admissions mean it will soon become evident to premiers “that mask mandates are required”, the president of the Australian Medical Association has said. There were 821 Covid cases in Victorian hospitals as of Monday, a 99% increase since 22 June. In NSW there were 2,205, while in Queensland, hospital admissions have exceeded modelling projections. The aged care sector has warned of a “perfect storm” of Covid outbreaks and staff shortages as Australia braces for another Omicron wave to peak. Compounding the situation, Australia is facing a “dire” medicine shortage, with more than 300 drugs in short supply.
