Australia to focus COVID-response resources on most vulnerable in 2023

CANBERRA, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government has revealed its plan to continue fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in 2023, focusing support on the country's most vulnerable people.

Health Minister Mark Butler and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Paul Kelly on Monday released the national COVID-19 health management plan for 2023.

A significant change is that Australians will require a referral from their doctor to receive a free polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for COVID-19 from Jan. 1, 2023.

Vaccinations against coronavirus will continue to be entirely subsidized by the government and the availability of oral antiviral treatments will be scaled up for elderly Australians.

"We will continue to protect those most at risk, while ensuring we have the capacity to respond to future waves and variants," Butler said in a media release.

The end of free PCR tests for all came 12 months after testing services were overwhelmed amid a wave of Omicron variant infections.

Butler said with all isolation and testing requirements now scrapped, resources would be better spent focused on the vulnerable in 2023.

Kelly said waves are expected to continue until at least 2025, but future outbreaks were unlikely to be as deadly as those in the past.

"The severity of future waves may be milder, placing less pressure on the health system," he told the Australian Associated Press (AAP).

"This, combined with improved immunity and hybrid immunity from repeat infections and targeted vaccinations, would reduce the clinical impact and result in fewer Australians suffering severe illness and death," added Kelly.

Australia reported an average of 15,569 new COVID-19 cases every day over the latest seven-day period.