Australia’s largest city goes into complete two-week lockdown

Australia’s largest city goes into complete two-week lockdown
Australia’s largest city goes into complete two-week lockdown
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Written by Harry Johnson

More than a million people in Sydney downtown area, as well as nearby suburbs, were already put under lockdown on Friday, but officials decided that more stringent measures were necessary to rein in the variant.

  • New Sydney COVID-19 restrictions are going into effect today.
  • Sydney residents can only leave home for essential work, medical care, education, or shopping.
  • The lockdown is also applied to several regions surrounding Sydney.

Sydney city authorities announced that the city is being placed under total lockdown for two weeks. The lockdown announcement follows the earlier expansion of anti-Covid-19 measures in some areas in order to contain an outbreak of the deadly Delta variant of the virus.

The restrictions, which are going into effect today, mean Sydney residents can only leave home for essential work, medical care, education, or shopping. Authorities have argued that the measures are needed in order to stop the spread of the infectious Delta variant. Sydney has already recorded 80 cases linked to the COVID-19 strain.

“Even though we don’t want to impose burdens unless we absolutely have to, unfortunately this is a situation where we have to,” New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

The lockdown is also applied to several regions surrounding Sydney. The rest of the state will have limits on public gatherings and require masks indoors. 

More than a million people in the city’s downtown area, as well as nearby suburbs, were already put under lockdown on Friday, but officials decided that more stringent measures were necessary to rein in the variant.

The initial targeted restrictions were criticized by some healthcare professionals, who called for a total lockdown of the city. Earlier this week, Berejiklian warned that Sydney was entering its “scariest phase of the pandemic” due to the spread of the Delta variant. 

Australia has fared better than many other nations in the fight against Covid-19, recording 30,422 cases and 910 deaths since the start of the health crisis. 

The strict measures come as numerous countries around the world begin to reimpose COVID-19 measures amid concerns over the spread of the Delta variant, considered to be more contagious. 

About the author

Avatar of Harry Johnson

Harry Johnson

Harry Johnson has been the assignment editor for eTurboNews for mroe than 20 years. He lives in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is originally from Europe. He enjoys writing and covering the news.

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