The Australian government has requested backpackers to work in the country as the country seeks an alternative replacement for the country’s workforce which has been severely crippled by the latest Covid-19 pandemic wave caused by the Omicron variant even as the health system of the country is burdened with the pandemic and health experts expecting the pandemic related death count increasing in the coming weeks.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Wednesday that any backpacker or student who lands in Australia during the next 12 weeks will have their visa application fee waived, and he encouraged them to look for a job while touring the nation.
"Come on down now because you wanted to come to Australia," Morrison said during a televised press conference.
"Move all the way around the country, and the same time join our workforce and help us in our agricultural sector, in our hospitality sector, and so many of the other parts of the economy that rely on that labour."
Morrison is taking flak at the start of an election year for way he has handled the outbreak of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, which has resulted in a record number of new infections and deaths.
However, it was released on the same day that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel warning to Australia and 21 other countries due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. find out more
On Wednesday, officials announced 67 new deaths and over 80,000 new cases. With 77 deaths from the virus on Tuesday, Australia's deadliest day, Chief Health Officer Paul Kelly warned Australians can expect the pandemic's overall death toll to soar even higher than the current 2,843.
Businesses in Australia are coping with the rising number of employees who are sick or have been instructed to isolate as close contacts. The labour shortfall has resulted in supply shortages, prompting major supermarkets to reintroduce purchasing limits on essentials, and is impeding the country's recovery.
At the same time, the health system is under strain, with 5,025 persons hospitalised as of Tuesday, up from 759 a month ago. In the last two weeks, about 1.3 million cases of the pandemic's total of 1.6 million have been discovered.
Victoria state hospitals were placed on a 'code brown' alert, which is generally reserved for natural disasters or mass casualty incidents. Nurses in the neighbouring state of New South Wales held a protest in one of Sydney's largest hospitals.
According to Morrison, the crest of the Omicron wave is "either upon us now or will become upon us ... over the next few weeks" and added that the death rate from the pandemic in Australia was among the lowest in eth world.
"Australia continues to prove resilient despite the frustrations and the very genuine concerns," Morrison said. "Our health system, despite a lot of pressure, is holding up."
(Source:www.theguardian.com)
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Wednesday that any backpacker or student who lands in Australia during the next 12 weeks will have their visa application fee waived, and he encouraged them to look for a job while touring the nation.
"Come on down now because you wanted to come to Australia," Morrison said during a televised press conference.
"Move all the way around the country, and the same time join our workforce and help us in our agricultural sector, in our hospitality sector, and so many of the other parts of the economy that rely on that labour."
Morrison is taking flak at the start of an election year for way he has handled the outbreak of the Omicron Covid-19 variant, which has resulted in a record number of new infections and deaths.
However, it was released on the same day that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a travel warning to Australia and 21 other countries due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. find out more
On Wednesday, officials announced 67 new deaths and over 80,000 new cases. With 77 deaths from the virus on Tuesday, Australia's deadliest day, Chief Health Officer Paul Kelly warned Australians can expect the pandemic's overall death toll to soar even higher than the current 2,843.
Businesses in Australia are coping with the rising number of employees who are sick or have been instructed to isolate as close contacts. The labour shortfall has resulted in supply shortages, prompting major supermarkets to reintroduce purchasing limits on essentials, and is impeding the country's recovery.
At the same time, the health system is under strain, with 5,025 persons hospitalised as of Tuesday, up from 759 a month ago. In the last two weeks, about 1.3 million cases of the pandemic's total of 1.6 million have been discovered.
Victoria state hospitals were placed on a 'code brown' alert, which is generally reserved for natural disasters or mass casualty incidents. Nurses in the neighbouring state of New South Wales held a protest in one of Sydney's largest hospitals.
According to Morrison, the crest of the Omicron wave is "either upon us now or will become upon us ... over the next few weeks" and added that the death rate from the pandemic in Australia was among the lowest in eth world.
"Australia continues to prove resilient despite the frustrations and the very genuine concerns," Morrison said. "Our health system, despite a lot of pressure, is holding up."
(Source:www.theguardian.com)
