Optimism for battered hospital system, despite Australia’s deadliest day

The number of hospitalisations for COVID is beginning to steady, or even fall, across Australia. Photo: AAP

State health authorities are hopeful much-needed relief is looming for hospitals and health staff battered by the brutal Omicron COVID outbreak – even as the country reported its deadliest day of the pandemic yet.

There were 98 virus deaths reported across the country in the previous 24 hours – 39 in Victoria, 35 in NSW, 18 in Queensland, five in South Australia and one in the ACT.