By Byron Kaye

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Australia reported its first death due to the Omicron version of COVID-19 Monday. This was despite the country’s highest daily infection rate. However, authorities resisted the temptation to impose new restrictions as hospitalisation rates remained low.

This man, who was in his 80s and had underlying medical conditions, died. It marked a sad milestone for the country, which now has to reverse parts of its staged reopening following nearly two years of lockdowns due to the new outbreak.

Omicron is a strain of Omicron that health professionals say has a higher spread rate but is less contagious than other strains. It was introduced in Australia just after it removed most restrictions at home and permitted Australians to travel from abroad without quarantine. This drove the number of cases to their highest point.

Officials did not give any further details on the Omicron death other than to state that the Omicron was contracted at an aged facility. He died in Sydney.

Christine Selvey, a NSW Health epidemiologist said that this was “the first death” in New South Wales due to Omicron variants of concern.

He was one of seven COVID-19-related deaths in Australia that day. A Reuters analysis of national data showed that the country recorded 10,186 new cases, making it the largest number of COVID-19 deaths since 2000. This is also the highest total of any nation to have more than 10,000 people in one day. The majority of new cases occurred in NSW and Victoria.

Annastacia Palaszczuk was the premier of Queensland, reporting that 784 cases were reported with 4 people admitted.

Palaszczuk, who was criticized for the six hour wait for COVID testing by people trying to fulfill interstate travel requirements, said that everyone knew before they bought a ticket that they had to take a PCR test if they want to visit this state.

But, she said that Queensland was looking at whether it could relax its testing requirements for visitors from the country. Tasmania, another popular tourist state, said that it is also considering changing state border testing rules.

The country was affected by the rash of infections. SydPath in Sydney had already confirmed that 400 COVID-positive individuals were incorrectly told by SydPath. SydPath later discovered that the wrong results were sent to an additional 995 people on Monday.

The Australian authorities are refusing to return to lockdown despite the increasing number of cases, but they have now reinstated certain restrictions. While NSW made it again mandatory for people to use QR codes when checking into public venues, many other states enforced the wearing of masks indoors.

A country also reduced the time frame for booster vaccine shots, which was originally six months. It now only takes four months. Soon it will be three months.