The Australian state of New South Wales recorded a record number of COVID-19 cases on Saturday, as authorities in Melbourne, the country's second-largest city, rushed to track the source of the outbreak. Lockdowns were imposed on the three largest cities in Australia on Saturday, as New South Wales reported 319 local infections and five new deaths, marking a record high for the third consecutive day.
With the virus continuing to spread in the suburbs of Sydney, despite the lockdown entering its seventh week, Health Minister Brad Hazzard expressed his frustration at what he perceived as the public's disregard for restrictions, urging them to stay home. He told media, "This is the biggest thing you can do for all of us and for yourselves, to work on defeating this Delta variant that is wreaking havoc around the world."
It was announced that residents of Armidale, located a six-hour drive northwest of Sydney, would join about 60 percent of Australia's 25 million residents under lockdown measures. Meanwhile, specialists are working to trace contacts of those infected to uncover the source of the outbreak in Victoria, where Melbourne is located, which has re-imposed lockdown measures for the sixth time since the emergence of the coronavirus.
State Premier Daniel Andrews stated, "It’s a huge thing to see this high number of cases. We don't know how the outbreak started," announcing 29 new infections with the virus. As Brisbane prepares to lift lockdown measures on Sunday, health officials urged residents not to be complacent ahead of the easing of restrictions.
The absence of supplies and hesitance in receiving vaccines have undermined efforts to inoculate Australians, with just over 20 percent of the population fully vaccinated. The country has managed to avoid the worst over the past 18 months, but its "Zero COVID" policy has faced skepticism as lockdown measures have not yet succeeded in eradicating the highly contagious Delta variant.
