Australia:  Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday announced that Australia will not return to lockdowns notwithstanding record Covid-19 infections. The time for "heavy-handed" government intervention to keep case numbers down, Morrison said.

"We're not going back to lockdowns," he stated emphatically. "We will not return to shutting down people's lives." "There will be other variants beyond Omicron, and we have to ensure that as a country, and as leaders across the country, we have put measures in place that Australians can live with," he said. His comments came ahead of an emergency meeting with state and territory leaders scheduled for Wednesday to discuss the surge in cases across Australia.

Morrison stated that the meeting would focus on how Australians can live with the virus "with common sense and responsibility," but that he would present "strong recommendations" for indoor mask use to continue.

Australia reported more than 4,500 new locally acquired coronavirus infections on Tuesday, the most since the pandemic began. During the pandemic, New South Wales alone reported 3,057 cases, the highest daily infection number among all states, while Victoria recorded 1,245. 154, 86, 16, 14 and four new cases were reported in South Australia, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory, and Tasmania, respectively. On Wednesday, leaders will also discuss whether Australians will need a third booster shot to be considered fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

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