COVID-19: Sydney lockdown extended as Delta variant spreads

Wed, Jul 7, 2021
By editor
1 MIN READ

Foreign

A two-week lockdown in Australia’s Sydney would be extended in a bid to crack down on a growing cluster of Coronavirus cases.

Ongoing cases of community transmission and updated health advice had forced the New South Wales Government to extend restrictions for another week, state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said at a news conference on Wednesday.

A total of 27 new locally acquired cases were reported on Wednesday, with a number of those in the community while infectious.

All of greater Sydney, as well as the nearby Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong, was placed under COVID-19 restrictions on June 26.

The public would now be under stay-at-home orders except for essential outings such as work, medical appointments, care and compassionate grounds, shopping and outdoor exercise until at least July 16.

“Our first and foremost priority is to protect the health and safety of the community.

“The Delta strain requires a different response to previous outbreaks, and until the majority of our population is vaccinated, we cannot live as freely as we will like to,’’ Berejiklian said.

The country, with a population of some 25 million people, has recorded 30,800 cases and 910 deaths since the pandemic began. (dpa/NAN)

– July 7, 2021 @ 10:14 GMT |

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