Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison is convening an emergency COVID-19 meeting with state and territory leaders Monday afternoon, as outbreaks of the highly contagious Delta variant see restrictions return across the country.
Why it matters: This is the first time in months that cases have emerged in multiple parts of Australia simultaneously. Some 18 million Australians, roughly 70% of the population, are now under some form of pandemic restriction, Reuters notes.
- This includes the country's most populous city, Sydney, which locked down for the first time on Saturday as the Delta coronavirus variant continues to spread.
- Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday, "I think we are entering a new phase of this pandemic, with the more contagious Delta strain."
What's happening: The state of New South Wales is the coronavirus epicenter, with 130 community cases — 124 in the Sydney Bondi cluster. Greater Sydney residents are now under a two-week stay-at-home order.
The big picture: Australia had largely suppressed outbreaks before the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant emerged. The country has shared a quarantine-free "travel bubble" with New Zealand since April, but NZ paused this until late Tuesday in response to Australia's outbreaks.
- New Zealand raised its COVID-19 alert level in the capital, Wellington, after a visitor from Sydney tested positive for the Delta strain upon his return home last week.
- NZ has not reported a local infection since Feb. 28, but authorities are testing hundreds of people potentially exposed to the Australian traveler to determine whether there are any cases in the community.
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June 28, 2021 at 12:26PM
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Australian government holds COVID emergency talks - Axios
"emergency" - Google News
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