Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said there was no need for his state to close the border with NSW as early data suggests Omicron is highly transmissible but less likely to cause serious illness than the Delta variant
COVID-19 cases could initially double every two days as a result of the new Omicron variant, but authorities are confident Christmas plans are safe from last-minute domestic border closures and gathering restrictions.
The WA government on Wednesday tightened border restrictions to NSW and urged their residents to come home immediately as the state’s daily cases surged back past 1300. Victorians are already banned from entering WA except in extraordinary circumstances. Prominent epidemiologists Catherine Bennett and Tony Blakely supported the requirement for shoppers to wear masks indoors, saying it was a small price to pay for the freedoms Victorians were enjoying.Professor Blakely said Omicron could still test the healthcare system if cases exploded, but masks reduced the potential for transmission by half.
People could meet outside and take rapid antigen tests before visiting vulnerable family members, she said. VCCI chief executive Paul Guerra said the mask rules would remain a “significant disincentive” for people to go to work and support businesses.
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