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The Australian state of New South Wales and the megacity of Sydney are breathing a sigh of relief: because 70 percent of the population there is now fully vaccinated, the regional government has announced far-reaching relaxation of the strict CoV restrictions. As early as Monday, fully vaccinated people will be allowed to eat in restaurants and go to the gym again – for the first time in 100 days.
In addition, ten instead of five adults can again meet in private homes, and outdoor gatherings of 30 instead of 20 people are allowed, as regional prime minister Dominic Perrottet explained today.
Schools are also scheduled to gradually reopen starting Oct. 18. “Vaccinations are key to getting life back to normal, and the relaxations will help families and friends reunite, children go to schools and businesses start operating faster,” Perrottet said.
Measures relaxation as vaccination spur
Authorities had stressed for weeks that measures would be relaxed once a 70 percent vaccination rate was reached. Once 80 percent of citizens are dually vaccinated, other rules would be lifted or eased.
New South Wales on the east coast has long been the worst hit region in the country by a wave of new infections. It was triggered by the highly contagious Delta variant. In the meantime, however, the numbers are declining. In contrast, neighboring Victoria, with the metropolis of Melbourne, is still battling a major outbreak.
Australia has long been successful in the fight against the virus thanks to strict rules, closed external borders and its isolated island location. The government pursued a zero-CoV strategy, but this could no longer be maintained with the emergence of the delta variant. A total of 116,000 cases have been confirmed nationwide so far – among a total of 25 million residents. About 1,350 people have died in connection with Covid-19.
- source: ORF.at/agencies/source: pixabay.com
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