Sharp rise in Victoria, NSW cases
SYDNEY: Australia’s two largest states reported sharp increases in new Covid19 cases yesterday, a blow to hopes lockdown restrictions would be lifted as more than half the country’s population is under stayathome orders.
New South Wales reported 110 new cases, up from 78 the day before, nearly four weeks into a lockdown of Sydney and surrounding areas.
Victoria clocked 22 new cases, from nine the day before, its biggest increase since the outbreak began this month, as it nears its second week of statewide lockdown.
‘‘Had we not gone into the lockdown a few weeks ago, the 110 number today would undoubtedly have been thousands and thousands,’’ NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said at a televised news conference.
‘‘But we need to work harder and, of course, all of us need to be on guard,’’ she added.
Health leaders have said their greatest concern is the number of people active in the community before receiving their Covid19 diagnosis, and that the number should be near zero before lifting lockdown.
Berejiklian said that number jumped to 43 yesterday, double the previous day, and that she could not say until next week whether the city would exit lockdown by a July 30 target.
South Australia went into the first full day of its weeklong lockdown yesterday, and reported six additional cases.
A year and ahalf into the pandemic, some 13 million Australians are under hard lockdown, raising pressure on the federal Government which has seen its polling at its lowest in a year due to a sluggish immunisation programme.
Just over 11% of the population is fully vaccinated.
The main vaccine in the Government’s arsenal, developed by AstraZeneca, has been recommended for use only for people aged over 60, due to a remote risk of blood clotting, while a vaccine made by Pfizer has been restricted to over40s, due to limited supply.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday said he took responsibility for both ‘‘regrettable’’ delays in the country’s vaccination programme.
‘‘Those delays are regrettable, we all know they’re the result of many factors,’’ Morrison said.
‘‘I take responsibility for the problems that we have had, but I am also taking responsibility for the solutions we’re putting in place and the vaccination rates that we are now achieving.’’
He said the Government had asked the independent Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation to relax its conservative advice on the AstraZeneca vaccine.
While the sluggish vaccination programme has frustrated voters, the shutdowns have also taken a toll on Australia’s $A2 trillion ($NZ2.1 trillion) economy.
Data published yesterday showed retail sales last month slumped 1.8% from a month earlier, nearly four times the drop foreshadowed by economists. — Reuters/AAP