Australia Sydneys lockdown could be eased if 50 of the population is vaccinated

Australia : Sydney’s lockdown could be eased if 50% of the population is vaccinated

Australia’s New South Wales, home to Sydney, said on Tuesday it could ease a COVID-19 lockdown that demands five million people stay at home until the end of August if 50% of the population is vaccinated, even as new infections linger near a 16-month high.

A lifting of restrictions in New South Wales, the country’s most populous state, would be a boost for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, under intense pressure for his government’s handling of the vaccine rollout, with the threat of a second economic recession in as many years looming.

While New South Wales on Tuesday reported another 199 locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours near a 16-month high of 239 infections recorded in one day last week â€" state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said curbs could be eased if six million people are vaccinated by the time the lockdown is due to end.

“Six million jabs is roughly half the population with at least one or two doses,” Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney. “That gives us additional options as to what life looks like on 29 August.”

Berejiklian didn’t say exactly how many in New South Wales were fully vaccinated as of Tuesday, but said the state is on course to meet its vaccination target. She cautioned the number of people in the community while infectious would also need to come down.

The PM on Tuesday also released the model behind the national strategy, showing Australia would need to vaccinate seven in every 10 people to be able to control the spread of the virus without lockdowns that are economically damaging. The lockdown of Sydney is expected to see the Australian economy shrink in the current quarter, and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has warned the length of the stay-at-home orders will determine whether a recession can be avoided.

Despite the ongoing threat to the economy, the Reserve Bank of Australia on Tuesday said it would stick with its plan to taper bond buying from September, contravening marketing expectations.

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