FILE PHOTO: Patrons dine-in at a bar by the harbour in the wake of coronavirus disease regulations easing, following an extended lockdown to curb an outbreak, in Sydney, Australia, October 22, 2021. REUTERSpix: Australian authorities on Friday rushed to track down hundreds who attended a Taylor Swift album party in Sydney last week that has become a super-spreading event as cases in the country hit a new pandemic high for the second straight day.
Despite the surge in cases, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia had entered “a different phase of the pandemic” and ruled out lockdowns to contain the spread of the virus. A record 3,820 cases were reported in Australia on Friday, with the bulk in its most populous states of New South Wales and Victoria, exceeding the previous high of around 3,400 a day earlier.