Covid: Sydney Lockdown Extended as Delta Variant Spreads

Residents of Sydney in Australia are in lockdown for another week as the city tries to contain a Covid outbreak. The New South Wales government made the “difficult decision” as it tackles spread of the Delta variant.

Despite a stay-at-home order in place since 26 June, Australia’s largest city is experiencing its worst outbreak this year. There are about 330 cases of Covid, with clusters of the virus emerging. This is because some infectious people left their homes for essentials.

The order covering over five million residents in the Greater Sydney, Central Coast and Wollongong areas was due to lift on Friday. However it now extends to 16 July, and schools will also close until that date.

The government recognise the “pain and stress” that lockdown causes families and businesses, but feel they must extend restrictions. Officials say the daily rate of cases and low levels of vaccination mean there is no other choice.

Fewer than 10% of Australians are fully vaccinated, and a lack of supplies means a lot of the population will not receive a jab until the end of the year.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian is keen that this is the only lockdown they have until most citizens receive their vaccinations. Extending restrictions now gives a better chance of not having to impose them again in the future. She says she doesn’t want to be in a situation where we are constantly moving in and out of lockdown.

Australia’s fight against Covid

Sydney is the hardest hit city by Australia’s recent outbreak of the highly transmissible Delta variant. Although cases of the virus are spreading across the whole country.

Around half the population of the country were affected by a snap lockdown, prompted by leaks of the virus from hotel quarantine. This included state capitals Brisbane, Darwin and Perth. However, authorities in these cities successfully contained the virus, which enabled them to end their lockdowns last week.

Australia’s Covid numbers have remained low overall, with less than 31,000 cases and 910 deaths. The nation was successful at fighting outbreaks of the virus that breached its strict border defences. This is down to its effective use of lockdowns, and quick action with tracing contacts.

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