The BA.5 Wave Is What COVID Normal Looks Like
AtlanticDec 27, 2022
The Facts
On Wed., COVID hospitalizations neared record levels in Australia. The spike in cases has prompted officials to urge businesses to allow their employees to work from home. They're also recommending that people wear masks indoors and remain up-to-date on vaccinations.
The daily case count reached 50K on Tues., as the country weathers its third COVID wave. The Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 are driving the current surge.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Australian politicians aren't evolving as quickly as COVID is. In the early days of the pandemic, Australia was seen as a success story as the country made drastic sacrifices to curb the virus. A hasty shift to "reopening" and focusing on the ability to travel has put Australia in a worse position now than they were one or even two years ago.
Pro-establishment narrative
Australia is the gold standard for pandemic response. Even though residents protested the measures the government took to keep their citizens safe, these measures drove COVID cases down and deaths minimal. Vaccine uptake rates are high and virus mitigation efforts have proven to be effective.