Explainer: why are Covid infection rates in Australia so high compared with other countries?

On Wednesday, Western Australia recorded its highest-ever daily Covid figures with 9,782 cases.

Prof Adrian Esterman, the chair of biostatistics at the University of South Australia, said the actual case numbers in Australia are still many times the number of reported cases.

Essential polling from August last year showed that only 15% of Australians would find it acceptable to live with more than 1,000 Covid deaths annually as lockdown restrictions were removed. In 2022 to date, there have already been more than 5,000 Covid deaths.

Werner-Seidler, a clinical psychologist, emphasises that social isolation is a risk factor for many mental health problems, and encourages at-risk people, if they are comfortable, to make plans for interacting with family and friends in Covid-safe manner.

But she believes Covid policies should encourage people to minimise individual and collective risk by wearing a mask or social distancing, without forcing requirements upon them.