By Renju Jose

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – Australia sent out an invitation Wednesday to backpackers in search of reinforcements for a country that has been crippled by the Omicron COVID-19 pandemic. The government is struggling to cope with the strain on its health system due the outbreak. There are more deaths expected over the coming weeks.

Scott Morrison, the Prime Minister of Australia said that the government waived the A$630 ($453) visa application fee for students and backpackers who arrived in Australia within the next twelve weeks.

Morrison stated, “Come down now because your desire to visit Australia,” during a live televised conference.

Move all around the country while you join our workforce. You will help us in our agriculture sector, our hospitality sector and many other sectors of our economy that depend on your labour.

Morrison, who is facing criticism in the first year of his election year for handling an Omicron COVID-19 outbreak that resulted in record number of deaths and new infections, has called for backpackers.

It was also issued on the same day that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised against traveling to Australia and 21 countries due to a growing number of COVID-19-related cases.

Officials announced Wednesday’s 67 additional deaths and almost 80,000 new cases. The nation suffered the worst day of the epidemic with 77 victims. Paul Kelly, Chief Health Officer for Australia, said that Australians can expect the number of deaths due to the pandemic to increase from its current 2,843.

Australian companies are dealing with the increasing number of sick workers and those who have been ordered to be isolated from their close friends. Due to the labour shortage, major grocers had to restore purchase limits and this is hindering Australia’s economic recovery.

The health system is also under pressure due to rising hospitalizations. Tuesday saw 5,025 patients admitted, an increase of 759 from a month earlier. The pandemic has been confirmed in 1.3 Million cases, compared to 1.6 Mio.

‘CODE BROWN’

Victoria’s hospitals moved from midday status to “code brown” status. This is usually reserved for disasters and mass casualty situations. In protest against staff shortages, nurses from New South Wales held a demonstration in Sydney’s most important hospitals.

Morrison recognized that Omicron’s wave is “either upon [us] now, or will become upon[us] over the next few weeks,” but stated that Australia’s fatality rate still remains among the lowest in the globe.

Morrison declared that Australia continues to be resilient in spite of the many frustrations and very real concerns. “Despite a lot pressure on our health system, it is still holding strong.”

Morrison is also fielding criticism over the shortage of at-home rapid antigen tests amid reports of price gouging which the country’s competition regulator has called “beyond outrageous https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-regulator-flags-significant-concerns-price-hike-covid-19-antigen-tests-2022-01-16”.

He urged the state leaders of the United States to eliminate the requirement for most workers to undergo daily rapid antigen testing. The federal government has promised to purchase up to 52,000,000 kits from Asia and America this month.

On Wednesday, 42,000 test kits worth approximately half a million dollars had been stolen from Sydney freight depot. This was amid a national shortage.

Annastacia Palaszczuk from Queensland, the Premier of Queensland State, said Thursday that she would ask for federal support to local production and rapid testing when the national cabinet meets.