Sydney : The coronavirus lockdown in Australia’s Sydney is being extended for four more weeks until August 28.
New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the extension in a press conference on Wednesday, according to Deutsche press agency (dpa).
The measures apply to Sydney and its surrounding areas.
The state recorded 177 new cases from more than 94,000 tests in its latest daily tally, New South Wales Health announced.
Australia virtually eliminated Covid-19 last year thanks to extremely strict rules but is now being hampered by the slow roll-out of vaccines across the country.
The vaccine campaign has been hindered by low supply of the Pfizer vaccine and conflicting advice about who should receive the AstraZeneca jab.
New South Wales, which has recorded just over 8,000 coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, has administered around 3.5 million vaccine doses so far.
Berejiklian urged all those eligible to get vaccinated and warned the public there would be a stepped up police presence to ensure compliance with lockdown rules over the coming weeks.
There has been frustration over the tough travel restrictions, with Australia’s borders largely closed since March 2020.
In the country of 25 million, around 33,000 cases have been confirmed nationwide, and around 900 people have died in connection with Covid-19. Around 11 million vaccine doses have been administered nationwide.
Restrictions in place for almost two weeks in the state of Victoria and its capital Melbourne were largely lifted at midnight, while South Australia and its capital Adelaide also ended a week of measures on Wednesday.
