Australia on Monday surpassed one million Covid-19 cases, with more than half of them recorded in the past week, as the Omicron variant ripped through most of the country, driving up hospitalisation numbers and putting a strain on supply chains.

Having successfully kept a lid on its virus caseload through aggressive lockdowns and tough border controls earlier in the pandemic, Australia is now suffering record infections as the country begins to live with the virus after higher vaccinations.

Australia's strict border rules...