NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said that the Delta variant of COVID-19 “is spreading like we’ve never seen before” after the state recorded 124 new cases in the community overnight, in the worst day since the start of the current Sydney outbreak. At least 48 of those people were infectious in the community.
The only way out of the currently lockdown in Greater Sydney is for people to get vaccinated, Berejiklian said, and until then Sydneysiders will have to learn to live with some kind of lockdown restrictions.
“Look, there’s no doubt that Delta has beaten every single jurisdiction in the world but that’s why we’ve always said in New South Wales that we want to get close to zero in terms of the numbers of people infectious in the community,” the Premier said at a press conference on Thursday morning.
“We appreciate that cases are going to keep popping up during Delta. But the challenge for us is to live as safely and freely as we can until we get vaccination rates up.
“We will have some level of restrictions in the community until a certain proportion of the population is vaccinated, and that is the reality that the whole world is facing.”
One stat worth noting is that none of the people currently in intensive care in NSW have had their two doses of the COVID vaccine yet, which is proof of why it’s so important to get that jab.
Later in the press conference, Berejiklian wouldn’t say whether the current restrictions would be eased on July 31.
“We’ll be able to tell the community this time next week or thereabouts what July 31 looks like and we’ll rely on the information we have up until that time to make those announcements,” she said.
“But please know, as I’ve said, that we’ll be living with some level of restriction – obviously we want it to be less than we have today – until the majority of the population is vaccinated.”
If you’re under 40, it’s now possible to talk to a GP about getting the safe and effective AstraZeneca jab. You can also triple-check to see if you’re potentially eligible for the Pfizer jab here.
It’s worth remembering the best vaccine is the first one available to you. If you’re sick of lockdown, it’s jab time, baby.
“Please know that for 18 months we did extremely well in holding back the virus, but Delta is very different to what we have and that’s why everybody needs to treat it differently,” the NSW Premier said.
“Don’t go about your business as we may have done in other outbreaks. This is a very different strain, very different set of circumstances and that’s why we need to respond to it differently.”
