Australian lockdowns continue amid Delta outbreaks in two major cities

Record ID: 1627504

  • Title: Australian lockdowns continue amid Delta outbreaks in two major cities
  • Date: 19th July 2021
  • Summary: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (JULY 19, 2021) (REUTERS) LIGHT RAIL TRAVELLING DOWN STREET VARIOUS OF INTERIOR OF EMPTY LIGHT RAIL COVID-19 SOCIAL DISTANCING STICKER ON LIGHT RAIL READING (English): "SIT HERE" WORKER DISINFECTING LIGHT RAIL
  • Embargoed: 2nd August 2021 07:42
  • Keywords: Australia COVID-19 New South Wales Sydney Victoria coronavirus delta lockdown pandemic
  • Location: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
  • City: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
  • Country: Australia
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Australia,Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA005EMI9AO7
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Nearly half of Australia's 25 million population has been confined to their homes with Sydney, the country's largest city, in a five-week lockdown, and all of Victoria state under stay at home rules, after the fast-moving Delta strain triggered the country's worst outbreak for this year.
    New South Wales (NSW) state, of which Sydney is the capital, reported 98 new locally-acquired cases, down from 105 a day earlier. At least 20 of the new cases were infectious while in the community, roughly in line with the last few days.
    "That 20 number is the number we are really keen to nudge," NSW state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said during a televised media conference on Monday (July 19).
    NSW has twice extended lockdown measures in Sydney since they were first imposed on June 26. Tough new restrictions introduced on Saturday (July 17) included a shutdown of all building and property maintenance works and bans on some 600,000 people in the worst-affected suburbs from leaving their immediate neighborhood for work.
    Meanwhile, Victoria state will extend a COVID-19 lockdown beyond Tuesday (July 20) despite a slight drop in new infections.
    Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said lockdown rules would not be lifted as cases were still being detected in the community, promising more details would be provided on Tuesday.
    Victoria, the country's second most populous state which includes Melbourne, on Monday reported 13 locally acquired cases, down from 16 a day earlier. All new local cases are linked.
    (Production: Cordelia Hsu, Jill Gralow)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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