Australia: Army to patrol Sydney streets, Brisbane extends lockdown to curb spread of virus
By Team Newsable | First Published Aug 2, 2021, 12:55 PM ISTOn Monday, some 300 army personnel, unarmed and under police command began door-to-door visitr to enure people follow protocol and people who have tested positive are isolated at home.
As Australia struggles to stop the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, soldiers began patrolling Sydney and Queensland state on Monday extended the COVID-19 lockdown in Brisbane. In the past 24 hours, Queensland said it had detected 13 new locally cases --- which is the most significant one-day rise the state recorded. Meanwhile, the lockdown of Brisbane was due to end on Tuesday but will now stay in place until late on Sunday.
On Monday, some 300 army personnel, unarmed and under police command, began door-to-door visitor to ensure people follow protocol and people who have tested positive are isolated at home.
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Speaking to the media, Steven Miles, Queensland state Deputy Premier said that it is becoming clear that the initial lockdown was insufficient for the outbreak. The people are upset with the government of Prime minister Scott Morrison on how the government is handling the pandemic as the numbers in the nation's biggest cities continues to grow.
Though Australia's vaccination drive lagged compared to other economies, it has fared much better in keeping the coronavirus numbers relatively low with under 34,400 cases. The number of fatalities rose to 925 in Sydney.
The nation is going through a cycle of constant lockdowns and unlocks in several cities due to the rising cases of Delta strain.
Earlier, Prime Minister Morrison promised lockdown would be eased once the country inoculates 70% of the population above 16 years. However, the government is expected to hit the target by the end of this year.
The latest round of lockdown in Brisbane and several adjoining areas begins its sixth week under the stay-at-home orders.
On Monday, New South Wales state detected 207 cases in the past 24 hours as daily patients continue to rise rapidly. Since the outbreak in June, the state had recorded 3,500 infections when a driver contracted the virus while transporting an airline crew.
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