JAKARTA - Australian authorities warned Sydney residents on Friday to prepare for a spike in COVID-19 cases, after the country's largest city registered a record infection for a second straight day, despite being under a weeks-long lockdown to stamp out an outbreak of the Delta variant.
"Based solely on the trends in the last few days and where they are heading, I would expect a higher number of cases in the next few days, and I just want everyone to be prepared for that," New South Wales Prime Minister Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney. Friday 6 August citing Reuters.
Sydney reported a record 279 locally acquired COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, up from a high of 259 the day before. Meanwhile, New South Wales reported a record 291 cases, up from 262.
The death toll also rose, after another person died, bringing New South Wales to 22 deaths during the new outbreak and all in Sydney. The person who died was a 60-year-old woman who was not vaccinated, caught the coronavirus from health workers and died in a Sydney hospital.
Hospitals in New South Wales recorded 304 cases of COVID-19 under treatment, of which 50 were in intensive care, with 22 requiring ventilation.
Of particular concern is the growing number of people who have tested positive for the highly contagious Delta strain moving through the community, particularly in Sydney's southwestern suburbs. About a fifth of Friday's cases had spent time outside while it was contagious.
Officials in neighboring Victoria, which late Thursday entered its sixth lockdown since the pandemic began, warned the state was in a precarious position, as officials tried to trace the source of several new, unrelated cases.
"We have multiple lines of investigation actively underway as to where these new cases are and where further exposure is," said state Health Secretary Martin Foley.
Victoria reported six cases of locally acquired COVID-19 on Friday, down from eight the day before, with all linked but not quarantined for the duration of their infection.
In Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, authorities reported 10 new cases, down from 16 the previous day, and added that they hoped the lockdown would be lifted as planned on Sunday as all but two cases were isolated before testing positive.
To note, more than 60 per cent of Australia's 25 million citizens were under strict lockdown on Friday, to try to contain the latest spike, including the country's three largest cities, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Fast lockdowns, strict border controls and rapid contact tracing have helped Australia keep its coronavirus count relatively low, with more than 35,600 cases and 933 deaths. But the recent lockdown amid a wave of Delta variants, the slow rollout of vaccinations, with only about 21% of people over 16 fully vaccinated, has frustrated residents.
Australia has also imposed strict border controls requiring residents to apply for an exception to leave, as well as incoming overseas travelers, capped at around 3,000 a week, subject to a mandatory two-week quarantine.
The rules will be further tightened from 11 August, removing automatic exemptions for citizens and permanent residents living outside Australia to leave. The changes will require all citizens and permanent residents living abroad to apply for an exit permit.
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