It was announced on Friday that four districts in the big city will be closed, but on Saturday A city of more than five million people has been completely shut down for two weeks.
More than eighty people in Australia have tested positive for coronavirus this week, and they can all be linked to an airport taxi driver, who may have been caught by the crew of a foreign flight.
The delta variant seems like a particularly formidable opponent.
“Whatever protective measures we take, the virus is always able to counterattack,” said Brad Hazzard, NSW Health Minister.
Australia, with a population of 26 million, has so far succeeded in combating the epidemic with short, strict orders quickly. Since the beginning of the epidemic, just over 30,400 people have been registered and about 900 people have died. On the other hand, the vaccination campaign is slow, with only a quarter of the population vaccinated so far.
New Zealand suspended quarantine-free travel with Australia for three days on Saturday.
Chris Hepkins, the minister responsible for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, said the action was justified by the fact that the delta variant appeared to be spreading faster than before and that many focal points had already formed in Australia. This will give authorities time to put in place steps that will continue to guarantee free travel, such as having passengers tested for the coronavirus before leaving in both countries.
New Zealand has previously stuck an “air bubble” with some Australian states five times, but this is the first time quarantine-free travel has been halted for passenger planes from across the country.
New Zealand and Australia have kept their international borders completely closed for more than a year,
Finally, an air bubble was introduced in mid-April, allowing free travel between the two countries without a quarantine obligation.
Cover image source: Getty Images
