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Sydney Covid-19 Cases Reach Record High, Lockdown Could Last Months

Sydney Covid-19 Cases Reach Record High, Lockdown Could Last Months
folder_openAsia-Pacific... access_time2 years ago
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By Staff, Agencies

New South Wales reported a record high number of covid-19 cases on Tuesday despite more than four weeks of lockdown for the Sydney region, with signs tough measures could extend until September.

The lockdown had been due to end on Saturday but with less than 13% of the state’s population fully vaccinated, curbs in some form were expected to remain.

More than half of Australia’s population of nearly 26 million has been in lockdown after an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant took hold in the state of New South Wales and spread to three others.

New South Wales reported 172 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, up from 145 a day earlier, with at least 60 in the community while infectious. Two more deaths were also reported: both were unvaccinated women in their 80s, said Berejiklian.

The epicenter of the outbreak in Sydney has now shifted towards the city’s west. One block of 50 flats was locked down and placed under police guard after six residents across several households tested positive.

Measures have also been taken at two Sydney hospitals, after two nurses and a student nurse tested positive. Eight patients have since been diagnosed with Covid-19. The nursing staff were partially vaccinated.

On Tuesday, tens of thousands of Covid nasal test swabs were being flown from hotspots in Sydney to be processed in other states, with labs in New South Wales “drowning” from record testing turnouts, according to a health worker involved in private pathology.

There are also concerns about a potential rise in cases as a result of the weekend’s anti-lockdown protests – fomented by German-based conspiracy group. State health official Jeremy McAnulty said on Tuesday: “Whenever we get people in crowds shouting or yelling, no social distancing that is a very dangerous situation for the transmission of Covid.”

The state did however lift lockdown for three regional areas, starting on Wednesday.

In another blow for Australia’s bungled rollout, it was revealed that one of the federal government’s key vaccine deals has been hit with major delays, with 51m doses of Novavax originally due to arrive in the second half of this year now not expected until 2022. The doses will now form part of the government’s booster strategy.

Elsewhere, the states of Victoria and South Australia announced that they would lift their own lockdowns after bringing smaller outbreaks under control.

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