Australia’s Victoria state records second-highest daily rise in virus cases

Melbourne, Sep 26 (BNA): The Australian state of Victoria reported 779 new cases of COVID-19 and two deaths on Sunday, marking a record high the previous day as the country’s prime minister presses state leaders to be ready to reopen once vaccination targets are met. .

The daily increase was still the second highest in the state, after the 847 cases recorded on Saturday, as officials struggle to contain the delta variant outbreak that has taken hold since the middle of the year.

Australia’s two most populous states, Victoria and New South Wales, are struggling to contain the highly contagious type while ramping up vaccinations to 80% of the population, the threshold that will allow officials to relax strict lockdown measures.

According to Reuters, three-quarters of Australians have received a first dose of the vaccine, while only half have taken both doses.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that he expects states to open borders and ease restrictions once the 80% vaccination threshold is met.

“We each have a personal responsibility to take care of our health. And so, it is important that we move forward,” he told Channel Seven’s Sunrise program.

“There comes a time when you have to move forward and move forward,” he said from Washington, where he held a summit with his counterparts from the United States, Japan and India.

His message to Australians, Morrison said, is “what I would like them to have at Christmas is their lives back. This is a gift from governments. And this is a gift I would like to see them give them.”

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New South Wales recorded nine deaths, according to government data on Sunday, while new locally acquired infections fell for a third day to 961, the lowest daily number in nearly a week, raising hopes that cases may have peaked, which was expected. Originally in mid-September. with high vaccination rates.

“While we are very encouraged by the downtrend we’ve seen, you can’t be complacent with Delta,” state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

The state’s first dose rate increased to 85.2% of people over 16, while 59.1% of the population received their second dose.

New South Wales has recorded 288 deaths in the Delta outbreak, which is nearly a quarter of the country’s death toll of about 1,230.

State government officials will finalize a roadmap this week of what needs to be done when the 80% target is achieved, as focus shifts to when community activities can reopen to the unvaccinated.

Sporting events, regional travel, bars, restaurants and other jobs may remain off-limits to unvaccinated people until 90% of adults in the state have received two doses.

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