Australia's COVID hospitalizations hit all-time high

Australians in hospitals with coronavirus have reached the highest number since the start of the pandemic. According to data from the  Department of Health , there were 5,433 Covid-19 patients currently hospitalised, up from 5,001 a week earlier. The new figure beat the previous record of 5,390 in January. It comes as  Australia 's winter wave of Covid-19 infections is expected to peak in the coming weeks, increasing pressure on the hospital system. Chris Moy, vice president of the  Australian Medical Association  ( AMA ), described the figure as "massive", calling for more government leadership on health measures including mask mandates.

The average public hospital has 600 to 700 beds, so we are talking eight major public hospitals," he was quoted as saying by the  Guardian Australia  on Tuesday. Australia on Tuesday reported more than 40,000 new Covid-19 cases and over 90 deaths. Since the onset of the pandemic, the country had reported a total of 9,139,047 cases and 11,200 deaths. According to  the Kirby Institute and the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) almost half of all Australian adults had been infected with the Covid-19 virus between January and June this year, with many of those infected in the last three months.

Meanwhile, Epidemiologists have questioned Victoria’s scaling back of its PCR Covid testing regime amid soaring case numbers and hospitalization. Victoria has “scaled back” its mass PCR Covid testing program since the start of July,  Victoria is the only jurisdiction to restrict access to PCR tests.  As of Tuesday there were 869 people in hospital with Covid in Victoria.