Reopening Plan Could Leave Some Australian Hospitals Overwhelmed

Hospitals in Australia’s most populous state risk being overwhelmed by Covid cases by the end of the year if the government’s reopening plan is executed, according to modeling from public health body OzSAGE, released Monday.

A second peak of infections will hit New South Wales state if restrictions are eased next month, when 70% of the adult population is inoculated, said Raina MacIntyre, a professor of global biosecurity at the University of New South Wales who conducted the modeling. A further easing when 80% of adults are fully vaccinated will cause a so-called “code black” situation where hospitals are overwhelmed over December and into January, she said.