New South Wales (NSW) Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Monday that seven people had died of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours. It is the highest number of related deaths in the region since the pandemic started.
Some 478 new positive cases were reported in NSW on Monday – the highest daily figure since the pandemic began. Sydney has entered its eighth week of lockdown, which is being enforced not only by the Australian police, but also the military.
Australia has now recorded 55 Covid deaths since July 11, and 966 deaths since the emergence of the coronavirus.
Among the seven dead on Monday was a 15-year-old boy from Sydney, who also had pneumococcal meningitis.
There were 200 additional troops deployed to the streets of Sydney to help enforce lockdown rules on Monday. They joined 500 other soldiers already present, and set up military-style roadblocks in areas with the highest rates of infection.
NSW residents have been issued with a ‘stay at home’ order. The measure restricts people from leaving their household without ‘reasonable excuses’ such as receiving the vaccine, buying food, or education if schooling is not possible at home. Under the extended lockdown rules, NSW residents aren’t allowed to attend gatherings of more than two people. Citizens who leave their houses must carry proof of address and, if traveling by car, must only travel with people they live with, unless in an emergency situation.
The NSW premier described the number of new positive cases as “disturbingly high” and added that “every death is a person who has loved ones.”
Only 26.1% of Australians aged 16 and over are vaccinated. The slow vaccine administration has been put down to a combination of supply obstacles and anti-vaxx sentiment – particularly concerning the AstraZeneca dose, which Australia heavily invested in earlier this year.
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