The COVID-19 lockdown in Melbourne was prolonged for another 3 weeks on Wednesday, as officials shifted their focus to fast vaccination efforts and away from a suppression plan to get cases to zero.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has indicated that the stringent limits will be eased in stages once 70 percent of the state's adult inhabitants have had at least one shot, a goal he seeks to accomplish by Sept. 23, based on the current vaccination rates.
"We have thrown everything at this, but it is now clear to us that we are not going to drive these numbers down, they are instead going to increase," Andrews told reporters in Melbourne, the state capital after a lockdown for nearly a month failed to quell the outbreak. The lockdown was due to end on Thursday.
"We got to buy time to allow vaccinations to be undertaken all the while doing this very hard work, this very painful and difficult work, to keep a lid as much as we can on cases."
In Victoria, the number of new local cases increased to 120 from 76 the day before. One hundred of the new patients spent time in the community while infected.
The neighboring state of New South Wales has brought forward its target date to fully vaccinate 70% of people above 16 to the middle of next month as outbreaks spurred a surge in inoculation.
"No matter where you live, life will be much, much better, much freer, as long as you're vaccinated at 70%," Berejiklian told reporters.
As of now, 37 percent of residents in the state have been completely vaccinated, and 67 percent have received at least one shot, which is somewhat higher than the national average but considerably lower than other similar countries.
In New South Wales, there were 1,116 new cases discovered, down from 1,164 the day before. Four more fatalities have been recorded in NSW, bringing the total number of deaths in this pandemic to 100.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison told parliament on Wednesday Australians ultimately needed to be released from lockdowns.
"Australia can live with this virus," he said in Canberra.
Australia is attempting to contain the third wave of illnesses that has engulfed more than half of the country's 25 million people. Sydney and Melbourne, the country's two major cities, as well as the capital Canberra, are under stringent stay-at-home restrictions for many weeks.
More than half of Australia's 25 million people have been quarantined as a result of the third wave of illnesses. The country's two major cities, Sydney and Melbourne, as well as the capital, Canberra, are under stringent stay-at-home orders that will last for weeks.
