Australia NSW Lockdown Tightened: "Only One Daily Outing Allowed for Essential Shopping"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The New South Wales (NSW) government in Australia, where Sydney is located, has decided to strengthen lockdown regulations as the daily new COVID-19 cases continue to hit record highs.

According to Australia's public broadcaster ABC on the 9th (local time), the NSW government announced that from 5 p.m. that day, lockdown measures will be tightened for Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong, Shellharbour, and other areas.

Accordingly, outdoor gatherings are limited to 2 people, and exercise is only allowed within 10 km from home or within the local council area.

Going out is also restricted to once a day, with only one family member allowed to leave for essential outings such as purchasing daily necessities. Visiting multiple stores for shopping is prohibited.

From the 11th, attendance at funerals will also be limited to a maximum of 10 people.

In NSW, the number of new COVID-19 cases recorded 38 on the 8th, the highest in 14 months, and increased to 44 on the 9th, with daily new cases continuously breaking records.

Notably, among the new cases on that day, 29 were found to have been active in the community during their infectious period, raising concerns that the number of infections may increase further.

The number of people in quarantine due to close contact with confirmed cases also doubled from 7,000 the previous day to 14,000.

Gladys Berejiklian, Premier of NSW, urged, "Do not leave your home unless it is absolutely necessary."

She warned, "We cannot coexist with the virus and must crush community transmission. Failure to do so could lead to many people suffering and dying in hospitals."

NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant also emphasized, "This is an unimaginably difficult time in the war against COVID-19," and stressed that "all residents must comply with public health guidelines."

The spread of the Delta variant in NSW began on the 16th of last month when a limousine bus driver in his 60s living in eastern Sydney was infected while transporting a passenger arriving from the United States.

Following a surge in community infections, a two-week lockdown was imposed on Greater Sydney and nearby areas starting from the 26th of last month.

However, as the daily average of new cases consistently remained in the 20s to 30s, the NSW government announced on the 7th that the lockdown would be extended for another week until 11:59 p.m. on the 16th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.