SYDNEY -- A record-setting coronavirus outbreak apparently fueled by the omicron variant is presenting Australia with a major public health -- and political -- test just ahead of a general election due by May.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has shown a reluctance to resort to the tight lockdowns and near-complete border closures that had defined Australia's response to the pandemic. Instead he is urging "personal responsibility" -- a call on residents to take precautions themselves without relying on "the heavy hand of government."
