Easing of restrictions delayed as new clusters emerge

MELBOURNE: Several Covid19 clusters have emerged in Australia’s two most populous states, officials said yesterday, prompting the biggest, New South Wales, to delay easing some restrictions.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she was concerned the state was on the cusp of another major community transmission after 11 new cases were locally acquired and a cluster appeared in the southwest Sydney suburb of Lakemba.

She said the easing of some social restrictions involving restaurants and weddings would now be put on hold.

Victoria, the epicentre of Australia’s second wave, logged five deaths and seven new coronavirus cases yesterday. A second and third regional flareup is threatening a hopedfor easing of harsh lockdown restrictions in place since midJuly.

Three cases in the town of Shepparton, northeast of Melbourne, were seeded by a truck driver travelling up from the city two weeks earlier who had not fully disclosed his travel to contract tracers until well after the event.

This has raised concerns the virus had been spreading unchecked in the town, health officials said.

Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said the matter had been referred to Victorian police.

Andrews is due to announce significant easing measures on Sunday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is not yet heading towards a full national lockdown in England despite calls from the opposition leader for a ‘‘circuit breaker’’ lockdown, Work and Pensions Minister Therese Coffey said yesterday.

‘‘I do not believe that the Prime Minister wants to set off on a national lockdown, but as ever he is advised by scientists — he takes that decision,’’ Coffey told Sky.

Opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer called yesterday for a two to threeweek ‘‘circuit breaker’’ lockdown to save lives. Starmer said Johnson’s attempt to tackle the virus was not working.

Eli Lilly and Co said yesterday the governmentsponsored clinical trial of its Covid19 antibody treatment similar to one taken by US President Donald Trump had been paused because of a safety concern.

The announcement comes one day after Johnson & Johnson said it was forced to pause a large highprofile trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine because a volunteer fell ill. J&J said it did not yet know if that person was given the vaccine or a placebo. — Reuters