As early as Monday, fully vaccinated people will be able to eat in restaurants and go to the gym in Sydney (Australia) for the first time in 100 days. In addition, ten instead of five adults can meet again in private houses, and outdoor gatherings of 30 instead of the previous 20 people are allowed, as regional premier Dominic Perrottet explained on Thursday.
From October 18, the schools will gradually reopen. “Vaccinations are key to normalizing life, and the easing will help bring families and friends back together, children go to school and businesses get up and running faster,” Perrottet said.
Further relaxation with more vaccinations
The authorities had been emphasizing for weeks that the measures would be relaxed as soon as a vaccination rate of 70 percent was reached. If 80 percent of citizens are double vaccinated, further rules should be repealed or defused.
New South Wales, on the east coast, has long been the worst hit area in the country by a wave of new infections. It was triggered by the highly contagious Delta variant. In the meantime, however, the numbers are falling again. The neighboring Victoria with the metropolis Melbourne, however, is still fighting against a larger outbreak.
“Zero Covid Strategy” abandoned
Thanks to strict rules, closed external borders and its isolated island location, Australia was successful in the fight against the virus for a long time. The government pursued a “zero covid strategy”, which, however, could no longer be maintained with the emergence of the delta variant. A total of 116,000 cases have been confirmed nationwide – among a total of 25 million residents. Around 1,350 people have died in connection with Covid-19. (SDA)