Australia's overall infection figure surpassed 500,000 on Tuesday, despite a persistent Covid-19 comeback spurred by the Omicron variant. The country reported more than 47,000 cases and four fatalities in the last 24 hours, bringing the total caseload and death toll to 547,160 and 2,270, respectively.

According to reports, Chris Moy, vice president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), the government has failed to come up with a plan for rapid antigen testing (RATs) despite concerns of supply shortages and price gouging.

"There is an inability to supply at a critical time, and there is a lack of equity of access, and it is quite expensive," he told ABC radio on Tuesday. "Omicron's case numbers are significantly higher than Delta's... These figures are well in excess of expectations, and this day was always going to arrive "he stated

"We need quick antigen tests in games and in people's hands," says the researcher. It comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison rejected a call for the government to subsidise RATs on Monday, claiming that doing so would "undercut" private carriers.

Daily case counts were high in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, and Tasmania.

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