.N Sector heavyweight Afterpay APT.AX retreated 2.3%, while other tech firms Xero XRO.AX and Wisetech Global WTC.AX fell 2.8% and 2.7%, respectively. Total infections in Australia continued to surge, with over half a million cases reported over the last week, straining the country's healthcare infrastructure and supply chains. Worries of sooner-than-expected policy tightening by the Federal Reserve have increased after a recent U.S. jobs missed expectations, with inflation data in focus to gauge the central bank's trajectory.