A police officer will check for entry permits to Victoria at a border post in Mallacoota, Australia on December 31, 2020.
Photographer: Diego Fedele / Getty Images
Photographer: Diego Fedele / Getty Images
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Health authorities warn Australians to remain vigilant even if there is evidence that coronavirus clusters are being brought under control in the country’s two most populous states.
New South Wales said on Sunday it has discovered eight locally transmitted cases in the past 24 hours, compared to seven the day before. The outbreak in the state came from a cluster that originally came from the Northern Beaches region of Sydney and spread to other parts of the city, now infecting more than 150 people.
Neighboring state of Victoria has discovered three new cases in the past 24 hours, health authorities said Sunday. The number is less than 10 new cases registered the day before.
Australian health authorities have been working hard to reach the clusters that have disrupted the peak summer break period. The nation has succeeded largely suppress community transfers through rigorous testing and contact tracking, by imposing restrictions on international arrivals and by isolating all travelers returning from abroad in quarantine hotels for 14 days.
The outbreak in Sydney had prompted the New South Wales government tightening of restrictions at social distance. Starting Monday, individuals in Australia’s largest city who do not wear masks in indoor locations such as shops, churches and on public transport will be fined A $ 200 ($ 154).
More than 18,900 people in New South Wales were tested on Saturday. Acting Prime Minister John Barilaro on Sunday pushed for a raise to maintain the state’s record of success in limiting outbreaks.
Victoria’s virus response commander Jeroen Weimar also urged residents of his state to maintain test levels, especially if they had returned from New South Wales after their shared border was closed on Saturday in an effort to contain clusters.
“People need to stay alert and be aware that this is not over yet,” Weimar said.