Australia

Sydney lockdown extended as COVID-19 outbreak nears 900 infections

July 15, 2021 12:40 am

[SOurce: reuters]

Australian authorities extended a lockdown in Sydney yesterday by at least 14 days, after three weeks of initial restrictions failed to stamp out the biggest outbreak of COVID-19 this year in the country’s largest city.

New South Wales state Premier says restrictions will remain in place until at least July 30 after reporting 97 new locally transmitted cases, a slight increase from a day earlier.

Since the first case of the outbreak was detected near the famous Bondi Beach in mid-June, the shutdown has been extended twice.

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Total infections across the harbour city of 5 million now stand at just under 900 and two deaths have been reported, the first for the country this year.

The Premier has repeatedly said that the lockdown, in place since June 26, will only be lifted when the number of newly reported cases that were circulating in the community while infectious were close to zero.