WORLD / ASIA-PACIFIC
COVID-19 curbs in Sydney could ease early amid surge
Published: Oct 13, 2021 05:43 PM
People exercise in Melbourne on Thursday, as Victoria and New South Wales in Australia announced an easing of coronavirus restrictions amid the pandemic. New South Wales recorded 1,405 new local cases of COVID-19 and Victoria recorded 324 on Thursday. Photo: AFP

People exercise in Melbourne on Thursday, as Victoria and New South Wales in Australia announced an easing of coronavirus restrictions amid the pandemic. New South Wales recorded 1,405 new local cases of COVID-19 and Victoria recorded 324 on Thursday. Photo: AFP

New South Wales could ease more restrictions in Sydney a week earlier than planned on October 18 as Australia's most populous state races towards its 80 percent double-dose vaccination target, the government said on Wednesday.

The southeastern state is expected to hit the mark over the weekend, beating forecasts, and officials previously promised to relax further restrictions on vaccinated residents on the first Monday after reaching that milestone.

"If we hit 80 percent, we've always said it will be the Monday following," state Premier Dominic Perrottet told ABC Radio. "We will have this discussion with our team on Thursday and we will make a decision to be announced on Friday."

Retail stores, pubs and gyms can allow more vaccinated patrons when inoculation reaches 80 percent. Mandatory masks will not be required inside offices and nightclubs can reopen for seated drinking, while weddings can have unlimited guests.

Sydney's more than 5 million residents came out of a nearly four-month lockdown on Monday after the 70 percent vaccination target was reached, with state officials promising a phased easing of remaining restrictions after vaccination rates reach 80 percent and 90 percent.  The NSW government has warned infections will increase with reopening but has brushed aside warnings from some health experts that hospitals could be overwhelmed by COVID-19 cases under Perrottet's strategy of living with the virus. Daily infections in New South Wales rose to 444 on Wednesday, up from 360 a day earlier, but well down from the pandemic high of 1,599 in early September.

Australia is in the grip of a third wave of infections fuelled by the Delta variant that has hit Sydney and Melbourne, its largest cities, and the capital Canberra. Canberra's 400,000 residents will exit lockdown on Friday as the first-dose vaccination rate topped 95 percent, one of the highest among Australia's regional capitals. Even with the Delta outbreaks, Australia has managed to keep its coronavirus numbers relatively low, with some 133,400 cases and 1,478 deaths.