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Despite a lockdown that has been in place for more than two months, the number of new Corona infections continues to rise in the Australian state of New South Wales. On Monday, authorities in the region recorded 1,290 new cases within 24 hours – the most since the pandemic began. Nearly 80 percent of the new infections were confirmed in the west and south of metropolitan Sydney, authorities said.
Regional Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced possible easing of restrictions when 70 percent of the population had been vaccinated. This is expected to be the case in October. However, the strict rules are to be relaxed only for those who are fully vaccinated. “Vaccination is key to our freedom and to reducing the spread of the virus,” Berejiklian said. So far, 36 percent of the approximately eight million residents of New South Wales on Australia’s east coast have been fully vaccinated, he said.
At the same time, airline Virgin Australia announced it would follow the example of its largest airline, Qantas, and also introduce mandatory vaccination for employees. Qantas had already set a deadline of Nov. 15 in mid-August for pilots, flight attendants and ground staff to be vaccinated. The remaining employees will be given until the end of March 2022. The same time frame is to apply at Virgin Australia. Exceptions will only be made for medical reasons.
Australia, a country of 25 million people, has long been successful in its fight against the virus thanks to strict rules and closed external borders. Experts blame the sluggish start to the vaccination campaign and the Delta variant for the rising numbers.
- source: k.at/picture:pixabay.com
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