Australian doctors warn of risks to hospitals once COVID-19 curbs ease

FILE PHOTO: A nurse immuniser administers the AstraZeneca vaccine to a patient at a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination clinic at the Bankstown Sports Club during a lockdown to curb an outbreak of cases in Sydney, Australia, August 25, 2021. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australian doctors on Thursday warned the country's hospitals are not ready to cope with the government's reopening plans, even with higher vaccination rates, as some states prepare to move from a virus suppression strategy to living with COVID-19.

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) said the health system was in danger of being locked into a "permanent cycle of crisis" and has called for new modelling to check if staffing levels in hospitals can withstand an expected surge in cases when lockdown rules ease.