Australia actually seemed to have the coronavirus under control. But the delta variant destroys this security – and gives Sydney two more weeks of lockdown.
Australia’s largest city Sydney has been sealed off for at least two weeks since Saturday evening because of the spread of the delta variant of the corona virus. After a lockdown for parts of the city, the authorities extended the measure to the greater Sydney area and surrounding regions. More than five million people are affected by the restrictions. A two-day lockdown also began on Sunday in the northern city of Darwin.
Since 6 p.m. on Saturday (local time), the entire Sydney area, the Blue Mountains and the nearby coastal communities have been cordoned off, as the head of government of the state of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian, had previously announced. “We have to prepare for a potentially large number of cases in the days to come.”
Residents are no longer allowed to leave Sydney
Most of Sydney’s five million residents have not been allowed to leave the city since Wednesday to prevent the virus from spreading to other areas. People are encouraged to only go out for essential errands, medical services, and exercise for the next two weeks.
“Today it just feels like another kick as you slowly get up again,” said 32-year-old Chris Kriketos, who works in a bakery in central Sydney.
Driving service is probably the source of the corona outbreak
The most recent outbreak can be traced back to a driver service that brought the crew of an airplane to a quarantine hotel around two weeks ago. The authorities have since registered more than 110 corona cases. In view of the situation, New Zealand suspended the regulation for three days on Saturday, which allows flights with Australia without quarantine.
After a corona outbreak in a remote mine, more than 150,000 people in Darwin and the surrounding area have to stay at home for at least 48 hours. During this time, it should be decided whether the lockdown can be lifted or extended, said the head of government of the Northern Territory, Michael Gunner. These are the first restrictions in the region since a nationwide lockdown at the start of the pandemic.
Experts fear further outbreaks
Australia has largely contained the corona infections with border closings and strict quarantine rules. In total, the authorities have counted more than 30,000 corona cases since the beginning of the pandemic, and 910 people have died.
However, health experts believe there will be more outbreaks until the majority of Australians are vaccinated. To date, around 7.2 million doses have been administered among the 25 million people in Australia. Only a fraction of Australians have received a second dose.
