THE SQUIZ

A statewide “Code Brown” has been called at Victorian hospitals after a record number of COVID admissions and staff in isolation. The colour coding system is normally used for short but intense crises like train crashes or bushfires, and it allows hospitals to call their workers back from leave to deal with severe staff shortages. “The next month could be the most challenging period our healthcare workers will ever face,” said Tom Symondson, the head of Victoria’s peak body for public hospitals.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

Have you heard of Omicron? Officials say the wave of infections has probably peaked, but high case numbers mean record hospital admissions, with more to come in the coming weeks. The Victorian Government has predicted that 2,500 people will be in hospital during the worst of the crisis, and yesterday 4,067 of the state’s public healthcare workers couldn’t go to work because they’d been exposed to/infected with COVID. The Code Brown typically lasts a day or 2, but this time it will be in place for a month to 6 weeks. And it’s not just a Victorian issue – the surge in cases from the Omicron strain is weighing on nearly every state and territory health system. For their part, the Federal Government has activated the private hospitals agreement which means 57,000 nurses and other staff will be made available to assist the public sector.

THAT SOUNDS PRETTY FULL ON… WHAT WILL COME NEXT?

Dunno, but Omicron isn’t done yet. Authorities are urging people to get their booster shots after 70,000 bookings weren’t filled during the past week. And on rapid tests, they are starting to arrive, and millions more will be here next week and into February. But shortages persist and the Pharmacy Guild is launching a website next week to help people find a RAT-stocked chemist after witnessing what it called “market failure”. Guild president Trent Twomey said social media and alternative websites were “causing more harm than good”, prompting them to launch their own page.