Under Strict Lockdown, New South Wales And Victoria Continue To Experience Spikes In COVID-19 Cases

Illustration of a corner of the State of New South Wales, Australia. (Wikimedia Commons/Adam JWC)

JAKARTA - Australia's two largest states, New South Wales and Victoria, which are currently in lockdown, saw a spike in cases of COVID-19 infection in a report Wednesday, July 21 local time.

New South Wales (NSW), home to the country's most populous city Sydney, recorded 110 new cases, up from 78 the day before, as the city and surrounding areas are under lockdown to prevent the spread of the Delta variant of the COVID-10 outbreak.

Meanwhile, Victoria recorded 22 new cases, from nine the day before, the biggest increase since the outbreak began this month, as it approaches its second week of statewide lockdown.

"Had we not gone into lockdown a few weeks ago, today's 110 number would have been in the thousands," NSW Prime Minister Gladys Berejiklian said at a televised news conference.

"But we have to work harder and, of course, we all have to be vigilant," continued Gladys Berejiklian.

Health leaders say their biggest concern is the number of people who were active in the community, before receiving their coronavirus diagnosis, and that the number should be close to zero before lifting the lockdown.

Berejiklian said that number jumped to 43 on Wednesday, double the previous day, and he could not say until the following week whether the city would come out of lockdown with a target of July 30.

Overnight, New South Wales added three regional centers about 250 km (150 miles) from Sydney to its list of lockdown areas, after a pet food delivery driver tested positive there, raising fears of local transmission.

"We know every day who's going to walk through the door, the locals come here to buy a four-day supply, not a daily one," said Cameron Cassel, a butcher in Blayney, which has a population of 3,000.

Separately, Victorian authorities said 16 of its 22 new cases were in quarantine for the duration of their infection, while exposure sites for the remaining six were 'quite low'.

"That is something that should give us all a level of confidence and hope that the steps we are taking will work," Victoria Health Minister Martin Foley said.

Meanwhile, the State of South Australia, entered its first full day of a week-long lockdown on Wednesday and reported one additional case.

In total as of Wednesday, July 21, Kangaroo Country recorded 32,266 cases of COVID-19 infection, with 915 people dying, and 29,743 patients declared cured since the pandemic began last year.

Regarding COVID-19 vaccination, Australia, which has only recorded around 11 percent of the population who has received the full vaccine, continues to work on improving its vaccination program.

Under mounting pressure, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday his government had asked its independent expert panel, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, to relax its advice on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Previously, the AstraZeneca vaccine was only recommended for those over 60 years of age, along with the risk of blood clots. Meanwhile, the limited number of Pfizer vaccines is limited to people aged 40 years and over.

"It is now for them to continue to reconsider how that balance of risks applies and provide appropriate advice," PM Morrison told reporters in Canberra.