Some of the Australian cities like Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin, Townsville and the Gold Coast have already been in lockdown, with around half of the Australian population living under stay-at-home orders.
With more than five million residents of greater Sydney under a two-week lockdown until July 9, New South Wales state reported 22 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, all linked to prior infections.
On Wednesday, the town of Alice Springs also entered lockdown after cases emerged in South Australia. Officials issued stay-at-home orders for the town after a potentially infected traveller used the airport.
A 72-hour restriction has been imposed on the central Australian town, as an “extreme precautionary” measure designed to protect a large Indigenous population, a state official said.
Australia, which has successfully dealt with COVID-19 so far with strict measures, and reported just over 30,550 cases and 910 deaths since the pandemic began, is now under pressure due to a slower vaccination drive. State officials have hit out at the federal government demanding better clarity. But less than 5 percent of its 20 million adult population has been fully vaccinated.
Tags: Australia, Brisbane, Darwin, Perth, Sydney, Townsville
