Australia records deadliest COVID-19 day

Australia recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic so far on Friday, citing 80 deaths related to COVID-19 as the spread of omicron continues in the country.

Australia previously saw a record number of coronavirus fatalities on Tuesday, as the country surpassed 78 deaths in one day, according to The Associated Press.

Nearly 3,000 coronavirus deaths have been recorded in Australia since the start of the pandemic, the news outlet noted.

New South Wales state Premier Dominic Perrottet noted that despite the record-breaking death toll, the country has also seen a slight decrease in hospitalizations. He reportedly said that it has given him hope regarding the strain that the omicron variant has placed on the health system.

The premier of Western Australia state, Mark McGowan, on Thursday said it would not reopen to the rest of the country as he had originally planned for Feb. 5, citing the number of COVID-19 cases in other states.

McGowan said that reopening the state would be “reckless and irresponsible,” according to the AP.