![]() Everyone needs to follow the rules and I am sorry it occurred," the Australian newspaper quoted Andrews saying.Īustralia is fighting a third wave of infections fueled by the Delta variant. "Whilst this was an oversight, oversights matter. The Victorian premier, Daniel Andrews - one of the most vocal proponents of tough restrictions to rein in outbreaks - was fined A$400 (US$300) on Friday for breaching the state's mask mandate after media photographed him walking mask-free from his car to two news conferences this week. Victoria state logged a record 1,838 new cases on Friday, the highest number of any state in the country since the pandemic began, exceeding the previous high of 1,763 set three days earlier. "There is no indication that this new strain presents any differences regarding transmission, vaccine effectiveness or severity," she said. State Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said genomic sequencing has uncovered a new Delta strain in eight new cases and more tests will be conducted to trace the source. They had previously fallen for the past seven days as first-dose inoculations in people over 16 near 90%. He added he was still unsure how to check patrons' vaccination status as required since a promised smartphone app was not yet operational.ĭaily infections in New South Wales rose on Friday to 646 cases, the majority in Sydney, up from 587 on Thursday. "We're still flying blind, we've got no idea as a CBD restaurant how many people are coming back and it's all murky what we're going to deal with," he said. Stuart Knox, owner of Fix Wine, a downtown restaurant and bar, said it was exciting to be re-opening even if preparing was difficult. Officials have a staggered plan to ease limits on gatherings as full inoculation hits 70%, 80% and 90% of adults and while movement around the city will be permitted from Monday, restrictions on traveling to regional areas remain. State Premier Dominic Perrottet has defended his decision to bring forward the easing of several restrictions amid a steady fall in infections, saying the pandemic "is an economic crisis too." Newsletter sign-up: Get The COVID-19 Brief sent to your inbox."New South Wales must not be reckless at this critical time," AMA President Omar Khorshid said in a statement, adding that "too fast or too early" could result in avoidable deaths and the reintroduction of lockdowns. While an easing of restrictions on travel for Sydneysiders outside of their local government areas had previously been flagged, authorities on Thursday also decided to bump up permitted limits for home gatherings, weddings and funerals - earning the ire of the Australian Medical Association (AMA). Stay-at-home orders are due to be lifted on Monday after New South Wales state this week hit its 70% target of full vaccination for its adult population, and owners of restaurants and other public venues are now scrambling to arrange supplies and staffing. Australian doctors warned a too-rapid easing of COVID-19 curbs in Sydney could put pressure on health systems and risk lives, as the city prepares for key restrictions to be relaxed next week after more than 100 days in lockdown.
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