Sydney Sets Record Again For COVID-19 Infections, Hospitals Are Under Pressure Due To Delta Variant

Illustration of the atmosphere in Sydney, Australia. (Wikimedia Commons/Adam.JWC)

JAKARTA - Sydney has set another record for COVID-19 infections, putting the city's hospitals and health systems under pressure, with officials again calling for the importance of COVID-19 vaccinations to stem the influx of patients to hospitals.

Despite a two-month lockdown, Sydney, the state capital of New South Wales, reported 919 new cases, amid a growing outbreak of the Delta variant, bringing Australia's daily case count to a new pandemic high of just under 1.000.

Local authorities say 113 people in the state are in hospital intensive care, with the majority or about 98 of them not yet receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

"This highlights the fact that vaccination is key. We need to increase the level of coverage of that vaccine", New South Wales Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant told a news conference in Sydney, quoted by Reuters, Wednesday, August 25.

Australia, grappling to control a third wave of the coronavirus, has locked down more than half of its population of 25, including its biggest cities like Sydney and Melbourne while trying to speed up the initially slow rollout of a vaccine.

About 31 percent of people over the age of 16 have been fully vaccinated, while 54 percent have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Westmead Hospital, one of the largest in Sydney's hardest-hit western suburbs, has reduced ambulance arrivals for COVID-19 patients by 24 hours and transferred critically ill patients to other hospitals, an internal note shared on Twitter by New South MPs said. Wales Cate Faehrmann points out.

Asked about the changes, State Health Secretary Brad Hazzard acknowledged the health system was working under pressure but said the situation was manageable.

"Westmead Hospital is typical of the kind of stress you'd expect when you get to a major hospital at the epicenter of a viral outbreak", he said. About 80 percent of cases have been detected in Sydney's west.

In neighboring country, Victoria, new cases fell for a second straight day to 45, down from 50 the day before, as officials seek to ramp up vaccine rollouts by allowing anyone over the age of 16 to receive a COVID-19 vaccination starting this Wednesday.

The spike in cases comes as the Australian federal government pressures the state to stick to a four-stage national reopening plan agreed last month, as several states have suggested a delay given Sydney's persistently high number of new daily cases.

Treasury Secretary Josh Frydenberg warned state leaders on Wednesday that current emergency economic support could be withdrawn when the state reaches a COVID-19 vaccination rate of 70-80 percent, even if states and territories decide to maintain border controls.

"There should be no hope on behalf of the prime minister and chief minister, our emergency economic support will continue at the current scale", Frydenberg told Seven News.

Despite the recent Delta outbreak, Australia's coronavirus count is relatively low, with more than 46.600 cases and 986 deaths. Deaths from the latest outbreak have risen to 76, although the death rate has slowed from last year.