Sonali Paul

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Australia recorded a record number of COVID-19 new cases Saturday. The outbreaks were growing in two states with the highest populations. However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison continues to downplay the risk as Australia eases its pandemic controls.

New South Wales’ state reports 2,482 new case, Victoria report 1,504 new cases, and Queensland 31 new cases. This combined total surpasses Austalia’s old high of 3,820 new cases just a few days earlier.

Morrison stated that Saturday’s focus must be on cases of infection and hospitalizations.

He said that the increasing number of New South Wales cases was not putting pressure on hospitals. There are currently 26 patients in intensive care.

It is not my opinion that Australians seem complacent. It is something that we take seriously. It is best dealt with calm and clear plans,” Morrison told a Hobart-based media conference.

He stated that Australia wasn’t in the same place as Europe, North America or Britain, which are all experiencing high cases.

According to the government of Victoria and New South Wales, international travellers who have received full vaccinations and are arriving in Sydney and Melbourne, they will now not be required to remain isolated for at least 72 hours. This is the latest step towards easing pandemic restrictions.

While travelers arriving from abroad will need to have a PCR test done within 24 hours after their arrival, they do not need to perform any further testing until the results are negative.

Dominic Perrottet (New South Wales Premier) stated that although international travel can be difficult due to new rules, and the rise of Omicron variations, the announcement “is about simplifying the process” and that it would ensure consistency in Australia’s top two cities.

Australia closed its borders soon after 2020’s pandemic. This kept COVID-19 rates down in comparison to rich countries. Up to now, there have been approximately 239 000 cases and around 2,130 deaths.