CANBERRA: Australian hospitals are "well-equipped" to deal with Covid,  Health Minister Greg Hunt said. In an official statement, the Health Minister said: “Australia's healthcare system is 'well-equipped' to manage with the escalating incidence of Covid-19 infections”.

According to sources, Australia reported a new high of over 8,000 coronavirus cases on Thursday, up 45 percent over the previous high established on Wednesday, and 11 more deaths.

Despite the rising number of infections, Hunt claims that the Omicron type isn't adding considerably to the load on intensive care units. In a week, he said, the number of patients in critical care increased by three to 112, while the number of patients on ventilators remained stable at 54. He stated, "The healthcare system is well-equipped."

94.1 percent of Australians aged 16 and up had received one vaccine shot as of Wednesday, and 90.9 percent had been fully immunise. More than 1.8 million Australians have had their third booster shot, with over 1,60,000 doses being given out each day.

On Thursday, Anthony Albanese, the leader of the opposition Labor Party, advocated for a reduction in the time between the second and third vaccine doses from the current five months. "The third dose is particularly vital as a safeguard against Omicron," he said.

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