Two weeks into lockdown, Sydney has its worst day for virus cases this year

By Renju Jose

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) state on Thursday reported its biggest daily rise in locally acquired cases of COVID-19 this year as officials struggle to stamp out a growing cluster of the highly infectious Delta variant.

The spike in cases after two weeks of a hard lockdown in Sydney, Australia’s largest city, raised the prospect of a further extension in restrictions, with officials blaming illegal family visits for a continuing rise in infections.

NSW reported 38 new local cases, up from 27 a day earlier, with 11 of those having spent time in the community while infectious.

Given Australia’s slow vaccine rollout, NSW state Premier Gladys Berejiklian implored residents to not visit homes of family and friends, citing the highly transmissible nature of the Delta strain.

“It’s really important for all of us to stay the course and follow the health advice to give us the best chance of getting out of this lockdown in a timely way,” Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.

A strict stay-at-home order has been in force in Sydney, home to a fifth of the country’s 25 million population, since June 26.

Asked if it might be extended beyond its current planned end date of July 16, Berejiklian said it would be “an unrealistic assumption” to control the Delta variant amid low vaccination rates and people flouting social distancing rules.

The state’s police force will deploy 100 additional officers in Sydney’s south west, from Friday to ensure that residents are wearing masks and not breaking COVID-19 restrictions.

“Clearly we are stil having members of the community that don’t comply,” Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon told a press briefing.

“Those police will be a very visible presence,” he said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the federal government would ensure adequate economic support if the lockdown was extended, saying the state was on “shifting sands” and urged patience.

“I know people are getting tired … getting frustrated. This is a virus we are dealing with, and it tends to set its own rules,” Morrison said during a televised media conference.

The latest infections took Sydney’s total in this outbreak to nearly 400 since the first case was detected more than three weeks ago in a limousine driver who transported overseas airline crew.

Australia has fared much better than many other developed countries in keeping COVID-19 numbers low, with just under 30,900 cases and 910 deaths, however, the country’s slow vaccination rollout has taken some of the shine off this success.

Just over 9% of people in NSW have been fully vaccinated, while about 29% have had a first dose.

(Reporting by Renju Jose; Additional reporting by Melanie Burton in Melbourne; Editing by Sam Holmes, Richard Pullin and Edwina Gibbs)