Delta outbreak worsens in Australia despite Sydney lockdown

The prospect of an extended lockdown in Sydney loomed on Monday as Australian health officials reported another record daily rise in Covid-19 cases for the year, fuelled by the highly infectious Delta variant.

New South Wales state reported 112 new locally-transmitted cases, almost all in Sydney, despite the country's biggest city entering its third week of lockdown. Case numbers have been at record levels for at least three days.

There was, however, a glimmer of light as the number of newly-infected people who were out in the community while infectious dropped to 34 from 45 on Sunday.

State premier Gladys Berejiklian said the progress of that figure in the coming days would determine whether Sydney's lockdown, due to end on Friday, would be extended.

Flu jab may reduce severe effects of Covid, suggests study

---

Anger at short notice of ban on indoor summer camps for children

---

HSE allowed to question frontline staff about vaccine status following data commissioner ruling

---

Ireland now has one of the fastest vaccination rates, data shows

---

“That’s the number we need to get as close to zero as possible,” Ms Berejiklian said during her daily televised briefing. “It is really up to us. The health expert advice will be based on what those numbers look like. I can’t be clearer than that.”

Ms Berejiklian said most of Monday’s cases were family members or close friends of already infected people, and pleaded with residents to comply with lockdown rules, which were tightened over the weekend.

Total infections in the outbreak are nearing 700, less than a month since the first was detected in mid-June. Sixty-three people are in hospital, with 18 in intensive care, officials said, while a woman in her 90s became the country’s first Covid-19 fatality this year.

Lockdown measures for Sydney’s five million residents, including school closures and stay-at-home orders, have stoked concerns of a slowdown in the economy, which had returned to pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter.

Australia has previously successfully suppressed Covid-19 flare-ups through snap lockdowns, speedy contact tracing and tough social-distancing rules. With about 31,200 cases and 911 deaths since the pandemic began, the country has fared better than many other developed economies.

Vaccine criticisms

The Sydney outbreak has put Australia’s sluggish vaccine rollout under scrutiny. Just 11 per cent of Australia’s adult population of more than 20.5 million have been fully vaccinated.

Critics have pointed to confusing public advice as well as vaccine shortages.

Federal health guidance recommends the locally-produced AstraZeneca vaccine be restricted to people aged over 60 because of blood clot concerns, while the imported Pfizer vaccine is limited to people aged between 40 and 60.

However, New South Wales authorities said vaccination centres and pharmacies would now be authorised to give the AstraZeneca vaccine to anyone over 40. Officials have also recommended shortening the interval to six weeks between AstraZeneca vaccination doses from the recommended 12 weeks.

The state government said it would open a vaccination hub in western Sydney, the epicentre of the outbreak, on Friday to give more than 10,000 teachers and school staff in the area priority access to inoculations.

Angelo Gavrielatos, president of the state's Teachers Federation, said the move was "a welcome first step in what should be the prioritisation of all teachers". – Reuters