Australia COVID-19 cases on the rise but wave of vaccination gives hope

SYDNEY, Sept. 16 (Reuters) – The Australian state of Victoria on Thursday reported its biggest one-day increase in COVID-19 cases of the year, as a nationwide increase in vaccinations made hope to ease the restrictions, nearly 70% of the adult population having had a first dose.

Victoria, home to the city of Melbourne, detected 514 new infections, surpassing the previous daily high of 473 on Monday.

Sydney and Melbourne, Australia’s largest cities, have stepped up their vaccination campaigns as the country strives to contain a third wave of infections fueled by the highly infectious Delta variant, placing nearly half of the 25 million ‘inhabitants under strict stay-at-home orders.

Still, Australia’s coronavirus infection rates are far lower than many other countries, with some 80,000 cases and 1,128 deaths, and authorities promise to ease many restrictions, possibly next month, after that more people will have received their two vaccines.

“That 70% double-dose, 80% double-dose mark is within sight. Carry on Australia,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at a press briefing in Canberra.

As part of a reopening plan unveiled in July, the federal government will urge states and territories to start living with the virus once these lofty targets are met.

To date, 44% of people over 16 are fully vaccinated while 69% have received at least one dose.

Authorities in New South Wales, at the heart of the country’s worst coronavirus outbreak, pleaded with its residents to get vaccinated as soon as they reported 12 new deaths from the virus, including 10 unvaccinated people.

A total of 1,351 new cases have been detected in the state, the majority in its capital, Sydney, compared to 1,259.

A nighttime curfew in Sydney’s 12 hard-hit western suburbs ended Wednesday evening amid an increase in vaccinations.

In Victoria, coverage for the first dose will reach 70% on Friday, officials said, when some restrictions on travel and outdoor exercise in Melbourne are relaxed. Read more

Melbourne’s 5 million people are stranded in their sixth lockdown, the most of any Australian city since the start of the pandemic.

An anti-lockdown protest is planned in Melbourne this weekend and authorities are seeking to avoid it by stopping public transport and deploying thousands of police. Read more

Report by Renju José; Editing by Sam Holmes, Robert Birsel

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.