Australia was bracing for more COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, officials said yesterday, even as it moves toward gradually easing pandemic restrictions with the vast majority of its people getting vaccinated against the virus.
Sydney, in a lockdown for more than 100 days, is to ease some key restrictions for fully vaccinated people from tomorrow.
More than 70 percent of people across New South Wales state, of which Sydney is the capital, have been fully vaccinated.
“We know that as we open up, case numbers will increase, but what has been key to keeping people safe is our high vaccination rate,” New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said.
Australia’s most populous state yesterday recorded 580 new infections, all of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, and 11 deaths.
Victoria — which has had its capital, Melbourne, in a lockdown since early August — reported a record 1,965 cases and five deaths.
The federal government is completing a plan to bring in 2,000 nurses and doctors from overseas over the next six months to help with the expected higher demand, Australian Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt told the Age newspaper.
“This will be a one-off boost to provide additional support,” Hunt said.
Elsewhere, Fiji is to ease COVID-19 restrictions and announce its reopening for international travel after the country hit a vaccination milestone.
Changes to the country’s virus restrictions are to be announced today as 80 percent of the adult population have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said.
“A full three weeks ahead of schedule! I’m grateful to everyone who’s rolled up their sleeves to help make Fiji safe,” Bainimarama wrote on Twitter. “I’ll announce the easing of Covid restrictions at home and our plan to reopen Fiji to the world.”
Additional reporting by AFP
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