The jury is still well and truly out on this. The NSW government has, before children are largely vaccinated or the population can access booster vaccines, chosen the Let It Rip policy, encouraged by the Federal government.
Christmas Day was a huge super-spreader event. The wave of infections will only now be starting to show in the stats. What will not show is the number of people being infected, not requiring hospitalisation, but unable to work. Hospitals are already facing staff shortages as people succumb to the extraordinary burden placed on them by Covid-19. Many have resigned or retired, burnt out. Many of those still working are dog-tired, on the edge of puling the pin too. And many will be victims of the virus, spreading it to co-workers and staying at home to isolate or to recover from symptoms. Either way hospitals don't function without health care workers from doctors to janitors. Elective surgery and other 'not yet life-threatening' surgeries are already being cancelled/postponed.
Tomorrow New Years Eve will produce yet another super-spreader event.
So holding up Australia's response to Omicron as a shining beacon to other nations is a very questionable call.