With Brisbane and Perth, lockdowns to contain the coronavirus are now in effect again in four metropolitan areas in Australia as of today. “These are tough decisions,” said Queensland state government leader Annastacia Palaszczuk. This means that a total of around ten million people in Australia, and thus more than a third of the population, are now affected by the far-reaching measures.
The restrictions will initially be in place for three days in Brisbane and four days in Perth. “We’re having lockdowns in major cities because overseas arrivals are bringing the virus here,” Palaszczuk said. Brisbane is the capital of Queensland, a state located in northeastern Australia; Perth is on the west coast. Lockdowns had previously been imposed in the metropolitan areas of Sydney and Darwin.
It is also due to the vaccination campaign
Australia has largely been able to contain the spread of the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic with border closures and strict quarantine rules. However, health experts believe there will always be outbreaks until the majority of residents are vaccinated. So far, 7.4 million vaccine doses have been administered in Australia, but according to media reports, less than five percent of the 25 million inhabitants have been vaccinated twice.
— source: ORF.at/agencies
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