Delta Variant: Australia put military on the streets to control lockdown | Concern for a new wave of covid cases

The Australian government took to the streets of the capital around 300 troops so that the restrictions imposed on new wave of covid-19 caused by the Delta variant, which reached several cities. The men in uniform joined the police in screening duties for at least six weeks.

The objective is guarantee the “maximum respect” of containment dictated amid a high number of community infections due to the epidemic of the strain originating in India, detected more than seven weeks ago in Sydney, where approximately 3,700 local cases and 15 deaths are accumulating.

The operation, which will last six weeks, “should not worry”New South Wales Police Minister David Elliot said, calling the deployment of troops “normal”.

Soldiers will work unarmed under orders from NSW Police to trace contacts, ensuring that people with covid-19 or considered close contacts remain isolated, among other tasks.

“As soon as the operation is over and they no longer need us, we will take a step back”The national operations commander, Mick Garraway, assured, insisting that the tasks relate to an expansion of the logistics operations carried out in the country.

The fear of a militarization of Australian cities

Statements come before fear that there is a militarization of the eight communities west and southwest of Sydney, with populations of immigrants and refugees. There, stricter displacement measures were imposed on the rest of Sydney, which was confined from June 26 to August 27.

New South Wales authorities announced on Monday 207 infections and one death after a weekend in which around a thousand police were deployed to avoid a repeat of the July 24 lockdown protests in Sydney. During the last mobilization, there were clashes and more than fifty arrests.

Australia has a population of 25 million and that does not exceed 34,500 infections. But because of the 925 deaths since the start of the pandemic, it is trying to speed up its vaccination program. Only the 19 percent of the population over 16 have both doses and the campaign is expected to end at the end of the year, two months later than planned.