As COVID Cases Surge Alarmingly In Australia, Sydney Lockdown Extended By Four Weeks

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As daily case numbers in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) continued to hover in triple digits, the state government announced on Wednesday a four-week extension to the lockdown on Greater Sydney and surrounding areas.

According to news report by agencies ANI/Xinhua, NSW recorded 177 new locally acquired cases in the 24 hours to 8:00 p.m. local time Tuesday, with only 47 of these confirmed to be isolated during their infectious period.

The state also recorded its 11th death, a woman in her 90s who had not been vaccinated.

The extension came during Sydney’s fifth week of lockdown, which will now last until Aug. 28 at 12:01 a.m., for a total of 63 days.

Under new restrictions, residents in Greater Sydney and surrounding areas must limit their shopping to within their Local Government Area (LGA) or, if outside their LGA, within 10 km from home.

Three LGA will join the five existing LGAs of concern with tightened restrictions where only authorized workers could leave local areas for work.

Constructions will reopen with conditions. All year 12 students who are preparing for the upcoming HSC, Australia’s college entrance exam, will return to face-to-face learning from Aug. 16 following a targeted vaccination program. The vaccination program will begin with students in Sydney’s worst-hit areas.