People are justifiably outraged.

It is less certain, however, that Premier Dominic Perrottet has the moral justification to criticise the gathering, given the role that he and Prime Minister Scott Morrison have played in the rapid disintegration of Australia's previously enviable coronavirus response, by insisting - and continuing to insist - that the nation was "open again" for business, and that "we" had taken a collective decision to "live with COVID".

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If "living with COVID" means a preparedness to accept dozens of deaths a day in the name of keeping the economy open, then the decisions taken by National Cabinet in September and enacted from mid-December can be viewed as a success.

But increasing numbers of people will be taking a less charitable view of the decisions taken in the public's name.

In any other circumstances, calls would already be afoot for a Royal Commission to investigate what health advice the politicians had before them when they altered Australia's coronavirus course, with such profound consequences.

It may yet come to that.

In the meantime, while the leadership of Hillsong Church say they followed the rules in allowing hundreds of people to sing and dance together, the situation facing the older people of this nation continues to deteriorate alarmingly.

Even before COVID, we had ample evidence to show that Australia's aged care system was delivering a lot less than it was promising.

Now, although Omicron is driving unprecedented case loads right across the community, it is our older people who are still worst affected.

COVID LATEST:

Federal figures for Thursday 3653 aged care residents in hospital with COVID - or about 87 per cent of the same day's overall COVID hospital total of 4187, which included 306 in intensive care.

Last night, these figures were updated to 4015 aged care residents in hospital, or 90 per cent of the national total of 4446, including 362 in ICU.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant says modelling shows cases should plateau soon, but the approaching return to school will put 4 million students and more than 300,000 school stuff in unavoidable close proximity.

We have a fortnight as a nation to get our house in order.

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