Australia Covid-19 Plans

Australian authorities on Wednesday extended the COVID-19 lockdown in Melbourne for another three weeks as they shift their focus to rapid vaccination drives and move away from a suppression strategy to bring cases down to zero. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews flagged a staggered easing of the tough restrictions once 70% of the state's adult residents receive at least one dose, a milestone he hopes to reach at least by September 23. So far, 37% are fully vaccinated in the state, while 67% have had at least one dose, slightly higher than the national numbers but well below most comparable nations. While Australian authorities had been able to douse past outbreaks through lockdowns, the highly infectious Delta variant has forced the country's two biggest states to plan for a reopening even as infections rise.