As COVID Delta variant rages, Australia imposes lockdown, calls out Army

As the Delta variant of COVID-19 sweeps through Australia, several cities across the country have gone under lockdown with the Army being called out to enforce the strict curbs. The lockdown has been extended in Australia’s third largest city, Brisbane, as authorities struggle to contain the galloping numbers. Army started patrolling Sydney to ensure a lockdown. The country recorded 475 cases on July 31, as compared to 33 on July 1.

Also read: Britain to offer booster shot to 32 million citizens, starting next month

The lockdown of Brisbane that was due to end on Tuesday was extended as numbers started to surge. “It’s starting to become clear that the initial lockdown will be insufficient for the outbreak,” Queensland state Deputy Premier Steven Miles told reporters in Brisbane, reports Reuters.

In New South Wales, University of NSW Epidemiologist Marylouise McLaws says restrictions currently imposed on parts of the state will need to remain even if vaccination levels hit 50 per cent.

Also read: Fully-vaccinated Americans do not need a booster dose for now, says FDA

Appearing on Channel 10’s The Project, Prof. McLaws said hitting 50 per cent is “not nearly enough” to start easing restrictions.

“If you’re looking at adults between 16 years and over…they represent 80 per cent of the total population,” she explained.  “So 50 per cent of 80 per cent is 40 per cent of the total population. So basically…if you had a room full of people in a room, you would have an enormous chance of having people infected – nearly every other person. So it’s not nearly enough and we have to focus on the 20-39-year-olds and the adolescents before we can even think of lifting some of the restrictions,” she added.

Meanwhile, Pfizer vaccine will now be made available for children between the age of 12 – 15 with underlying medical conditions. Deputy Chief Medical Office Michael Kidd said the rollout will start on Monday August 9, and will apply to around 220,000 children across the country.

Some of the illnesses identified that may make a child eligible for the vaccine include severe asthma, diabetes, obesity, cardiac and circulatory congenital anomalies, neuro developmental disorders, epilepsy, immuno-compromised and trisomy 21.