MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st December, 2021) Australia is not going back to COVID-19 lockdowns despite the spread of the Omicron variant, expecting Australians to take health precautions out of personal responsibility and common sense, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday.
"We're not going back to lockdowns, we're not going back to shutting down people's lives. We're going forward to live with this virus with common sense and responsibility. And there will be other variants beyond Omicron. And we have to ensure as a country and as leaders around the country, we have put in place measures that Australians can live with. And what that means is we have to move from a culture of mandates to a culture of responsibility," Morrison said in a press conference.
Currently, all COVID-19 restrictions � even the mandate to use masks � have been removed for all citizens of New South Wales and Sydney, including those unvaccinated.
Despite Australia's 75% vaccination rate, the Melbourne-based Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity has warned that without tougher restrictions, Omicron cases may reach 200,000 per day and hospitalizations 4,000 per day by late January.
The Australian government will have an emergency meeting with state authorities on Wednesday to discuss Omicron. Australian broadcaster ABC said that they would discuss returning the face mask mandate in indoor public spaces.
