Australian PM says no Xmas lockdown as hospitals coping with rising Omicron

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday ruled out a Christmas lockdown, saying hospitals were coping well with a record surge in COVID-19 cases fuelled by the Omicron variant. Australia is grappling with the more transmissible Omicron variant of the coronavirus as restrictions ease ahead of the Christmas holidays after higher vaccination levels were reached. 'Despite these rising cases, hospitals and health systems remain in a strong position but of course they will be tested,' Morrison told reporters in Canberra after an emergency Cabinet meeting.