Infection Cases Continue To Decline And COVID-19 Vaccinations Reach Target, Sydney Will Emerge From Lockdown Next Week

JAKARTA - Good news comes from Australia, where the number of cases of COVID-19 infection is slowly decreasing, along with the increase in COVID-19 vaccinations, making restrictions begin to be relaxed slowly.

A total of 1,420 new locally acquired cases were reported in Victoria, most of them in the state capital Melbourne, down from a record 1,763 on Tuesday. However, the report also put 11 new deaths, the state's highest daily figure for now.

Melbourne has been in lockdown since August 5, as Australia grappled with a third wave of infections driven by the fast-moving Delta variant, leaving millions in Sydney, its largest city and in the capital Canberra, under strict house rules.

Victorian authorities plan to relax some of the restrictions, as they strive to reach 70 per cent of the adult population having received the full COVID-19 vaccine, which is targeted for completion by the end of October. With more restrictions will be removed when the figure reaches 80 percent.

In the neighboring state of New South Wales, Sydney will emerge from lockdown on October 11, following a rapid vaccination programme. About 68 percent of the adult population has been fully vaccinated in the state, with the figure expected to hit 70 percent as of Thursday.

Sydney's daily COVID-19 infections fell below 600 for the first time in more than seven weeks on Wednesday. Perrottet Dominier, the state's new prime minister, said he would raise a number of issues about the state's reopening plans at a meeting with health officials on Wednesday.

"Whatever we do, we want to make sure it's done in a way that keeps people safe. But at the end of the day, it's important to get people back into the city, because we want to breathe life into Sydney," Perrottet told Radio Station 2GB. Reuters 6 October.

To note, until now Australia has recorded a total of around 117,800 cases of infection with 1,379 deaths. Increased vaccination keeps the death rate below last year.