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PM touts new pandemic future, makes bold Covid claim: '40,000 lives saved'

The PM has said Australia must keep moving forward after the country recorded its deadliest day of the Covid pandemic on Tuesday.

In Canberra on Wednesday, Scott Morrison acknowledged the Omicron variant has been "one of the biggest challenges through the pandemic".

Despite the new strain throwing supply chains and health services into chaos, Mr Morrison said Australians must "respect" Omicron, but "should not fear it".

"We must respect it with sensible, balanced rules, sensible precautions, but at the same time, not shutting Australia away, not locking ourselves up, not destroying people's livelihoods and bringing our society to a halt," he said.

"That is not the future. That is the past."

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to the media during a press conference.
In Canberra on Wednesday, Scott Morrison acknowledged the Omicron variant has been "one of the biggest challenges through the pandemic". Source: AAP

The PM said other countries around the world are also struggling to keep supplies on supermarket shelves and an adequate number of staff in hospitals and aged care homes.

However, he claimed 40,000 Australian lives had been saved during the pandemic compared to other developed nations.

"And that is a great credit to Australians, and it's a great credit to the way that we have been able to push through from the start," he said.

"It hasn't been without challenge, it hasn't been without loss, it hasn't been without frustration and difficulty and the natural anger that I know flows from that.

"But that's where we are — doing better than almost every other country in the world when it comes to even the large number of more than 350 deaths in the course of the past week, our death rate that relates to Omicron is one of the lowest in the world."

For every one million residents, the US has recorded 2,582 Covid deaths. The UK trials behind with an average of 2,267 deaths.

Australia’s virus death rate is 108 per million people.

PM admits Omicron surge worse than expected, denies 'letting it rip'

Mr Morrison also acknowledged the wide concern about Omicron when it first emerged.

"We understand the great concerns particularly in the early stage of Omicron several weeks ago when we knew it was contagious, but we didn't quite know then just how severe it could be," he said.

Health experts have heavily criticised the country's apparent decision to "let [Covid] rip" over the past few months despite lingering questions about the variant's severity.

"Letting COVID go, esp. in countries that normally lead on global health, was foolish from the beginning," head of the Burnet Institute Professor Brendan Crabb Tweeted last week.

"A mistake never corrected. You just don’t do this with zoonoses, never. The result is years of world-changing devastation, with unpredictable evolution rampant. Madness."

A paramedic moving equipment outside St. Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne, Tuesday, January 11, 2022. Source: AAP
The PM claimed 40,000 Australian lives had been saved during the pandemic compared to other developed nations. Source: AAP

Plan to give $630 to overseas students, backpackers

The federal government will rebate visa application fees for backpackers and international students heading to Australia in an attempt to address the workforce shortage.

The PM announced on Wednesday the $630 fee for international students would be covered for the next eight weeks.

He said there are 150,000 international students and 23,500 backpackers with visas and his message was clear — "come on down".

"We want you to come to Australia and enjoy a holiday here … move all the way around the country," Mr Morrison said.

with AAP

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