For the first time, Australia reports over 1,000 new COVID-19 cases
The state of New South Wales (NSW), which has Sydney as its capital, accounted for 1,029 of the 1,123 new reported cases on Thursday.
NEW DELHI — For the first time since the outbreak began, Australia has recorded over 1,000 new COVID-19 cases.
On Thursday morning, 1,123 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 were reported in Australia. New South Wales (NSW), Australia’s most populous state with Sydney as its capital, accounted for 1,029 of the 1,123 new cases recorded on Thursday.
A total of 80 new cases were reported in Victoria, the second-most populated state with Melbourne as its capital, while 14 new cases were reported in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
Surge in cases but vaccination drive picks up
Despite the high number of infections, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday in Canberra that it was “another day of hope,” as the vaccination drive continues to accelerate.
On Wednesday, more than 300,000 vaccine doses were administered across Australia, and around 32 percent of Australians aged 16 and up have been fully immunized.
More than a third of Australians will have had both doses by the end of the week, according to Morrison.
Call on lifting restrictions soon
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said a meeting of health officials would decide whether to lift Canberra’s severe lockdown restrictions on Thursday night, but warned it would be a long process.
There will not be a substantial loosening of limitations and it will be a small step forward, as per him. He also added that this would be the case until spring.
So far, almost half of Australia’s population is still in lockdown in NSW, Victoria, and the ACT.
According to the latest numbers from the Department of Health, there were 46,728 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia as of Wednesday afternoon, with 995 instances reported in the previous 24 hours, the majority of which were locally acquired.
COVID-19 patients urge people to get vaccinated
Meanwhile, COVID-19 patients from Sydney’s Concord hospital have spoken out about the symptoms of the Delta strain and urged Sydney residents to get vaccinated.
In a video from Sydney Local Health District, lung expert Lucy Morgan recounted the story of 50-year-old construction worker Fawaz, 30-year-old pharmacy worker Ramona, and 35-year-old tradie Osama.
Fawaz and Osama infected family members who were also hospitalised, and Ramona, a single mother, claims she hasn’t seen her children in weeks.
