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The Australian Medical Association said on Thursday that the country’s hospitals were “ill prepared” to reopen in line with the government’s plans as the country reported a record number of cases of Covid-19.
More modelling was needed before the country could consider easing restrictions, the association said in a letter to state and national leaders.
Australia’s virus hotspots of New South Wales and Victoria on Friday reported 1,431 and 280 daily cases, respectively. New South Wales’ total was a national record, while Victoria’s was the highest it had seen since the start of its latest outbreak.
“We must urgently prepare our health system before opening up and to do that we need new modelling based on our hospitals’ ability to cope with the associated increase in caseload,” said AMA president Dr Omar Khorshid.
“Even pre-Covid, emergency departments were full, ambulances ramped and waiting times for elective surgery too long.”
Under the national government’s plan for reopening Australia’s economy, lockdowns will be eased once the country reaches 70 per cent vaccination, while all travel restrictions will be lifted at 80 per cent.
However, Scott Morrison, prime minister, has said that the decision of when and how to unlock lay with the state premiers, many of whom were increasingly sceptical of the plan.
On Friday, Annastacia Palaszczuk, Queensland premier, joined a growing chorus of state premiers who have expressed doubt about the national reopening plan as cases continued to rise.
She said she wanted to see more modelling on the effect of the virus on children before she would consider opening up to states suffering more severe outbreaks of the virus, such as Victoria and New South Wales.
“I’m asking very simple questions here of Scott Morrison and the national cabinet,” she said. “I want to see further detailed modelling, it is only fair and reasonable that we have a constructive debate in this country.”
Her comments have drawn a rebuke from federal health minister Greg Hunt, who previously said that Palaszcuk’s claims that children could be at risk were “false, wrong and inaccurate”.
Queensland reported zero local cases of Covid on Friday.