Australia Sets Again The Record Of COVID-19 Infections, PM Morrison Decides To Lockdown

Illustration of COVID-19 lockdown in New South Wales, Australia. (Wikimedia Commons/Blue Mountains Library)

JAKARTA - Australian authorities have decided that they will continue to impose a lockdown, or a lockdown, until 70 percent of the population who meet the requirements receive a complete two-dose COVID-19 vaccine.

Once that number is reached, coexistence with COVD-19 begins immediately. This was conveyed by Australian Prime Minister (PM) Scott Morrison in his press statement, Sunday local time.

Kangaroo Country again hit a record with 914 infections, the highest daily figure, although the southern and eastern states of New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory remain under tight lockdown.

"You can't live in lockdown forever and at some point, you need to make that gear change, and it's done at 70 percent," PM Morrison said in a television interview on the Australian Broadcasting Corp's 'Insider' program.

Lockdowns are a key element of the federal government's strategy to contain the outbreak until a 70 percent COVID-19 vaccination rate is reached, with borders reopening gradually as that figure rises to 80 percent.

But, diverging from the zero-COVID strategy adopted since the pandemic began, PM Morrison said it was highly unlikely for Australia to reach zero cases before restrictions could be relaxed.

"Lockdown is not a sustainable way to deal with the virus and that's why we have to get to 70 percent and 80 percent so we can start living with the virus," Morrison said.

Currently, about 60 percent of Australia's population of 25 million is now on lockdown. The stay-at-home orders, which often last for months, have weighed on the patience of many.

Police in the most populous state of New South Wales, said they had awarded 940 fines in the past 24 hours for violating a public health order. Meanwhile, local media said several hundred people had gathered to protest against Sunday's restrictions on the Queensland State border.

It follows hundreds of arrests made by police on Saturday during anti-lockdown demonstrations in Sydney and Melbourne, the capitals of the two most populous states, New South Wales and Victoria, which are under strict lockdown.

Meanwhile, New South Wales had 830 new infections on Sunday, despite increased efforts, and the Australian Capital Territory, home to the capital, Canberra, had 19. Nationally, the active case tally stands at nearly 12,000.

Separately, the southeastern State of Victoria, in its sixth lockdown since the start of the pandemic, recorded 65 cases of locally acquired COVID-19 infection on Sunday.

"We're doing everything we can for this," said Martin Foley, the state's health minister.

To note, only about 30 percent of Australians over the age of 16 have received the full COVID-19 vaccine, health ministry data showed on Saturday. This is mainly because Pfizer's vaccine supply is limited, while AstraZeneca's vaccine is causing public anxiety.

Quoting Worldometers, as of Sunday, August 22, the Kangaroo Country had a total of 44,034 cases of infection, with 981 deaths and 31,593 patients declared cured and discharged from the hospital.