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Sydney police call for military to enforce lockdown

Health workers taking swab samples from residents at a Covid-19 drive-through testing clinic in Sydney. - AFP
Health workers taking swab samples from residents at a Covid-19 drive-through testing clinic in Sydney. - AFP
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SYDNEY: Police in Australia's largest city have requested military help to enforce a coronavirus lockdown as infections in Sydney reached a new record on Thursday.


Commissioner Mick Fuller said New South Wales police had asked for 300 Australian Defence Force personnel to be deployed "to boost its operational footprint". The city of five million people is in its fifth week of a lockdown that is set to run until the end of August.


Stay-at-home orders have failed to reduce new infections to zero, and compliance has been patchy.


Sydney residents are only allowed to leave their homes for exercise, essential work, medical reasons, and to shop for necessities such as food.


But for weeks, parks and beach promenades have been filled with Sydneysiders drinking coffee and chatting with friends.


Police have increasingly been doling out fines to those violating the restrictions and Fuller said those efforts would be stepped up in the coming days. Last weekend thousands of people gathered in central Sydney to protest against the measures, and further demonstrations have been mooted.


Police have also requested more powers to shut down businesses that they say are not abiding by rules on social distancing.


On Thursday state premier Gladys Berejiklian warned that the outbreak -- which began mid-June when a driver for an international flight crew contracted the virus -- is "likely to get worse".


Health workers taking swab samples from residents at a Covid-19 drive-through testing clinic in Sydney. - AFP
Health workers taking swab samples from residents at a Covid-19 drive-through testing clinic in Sydney. - AFP


Officials announced 239 new infections in Sydney, a record for this outbreak, which now totals 2,810 cases.


With under 14 per cent of the Australian population vaccinated, many experts have warned that Sydney's lockdown could run for months more. Supplies of Pfizer-BioNTech shots are low and there has been widespread scepticism about the AstraZeneca jab, slowing the vaccine rollout.


Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said he expected the national economy to shrink in the September quarter but the ability to avoid a technical recession would depend on whether New South Wales can avoid a longer lockdown.


"With respect to the December quarter, that does depend to a large extent how successful New South Wales, our largest state economy, is in getting on top of this virus," Frydenberg told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.


Berejiklian has said restrictions need to remain as too few people in Sydney are vaccinated amid tight supplies of Pfizer vaccines, which Canberra had hoped to inoculate everyone under 60 years old.


All adults in Sydney have now been urged to seek an AstraZeneca vaccine. But citing rare blood clots, many are reluctant and would prefer to wait several months when Australia is expected to receive additional Pfizer supplies.


Only about 17 per cent of people above 16 years fully vaccinated in NSW. More than 2,800 cases have been detected so far, with 182 people hospitalised. Fifty-four are in intensive care, 22 of whom require ventilation. Two new deaths were recorded, taking the total number of deaths in the latest outbreak to 13.


The outbreak in Sydney leaves many with little to do but watch the Olympics, and Australian athletes said they hoped they could provide a little bit of joy with their performances.


"Just extremely grateful and happy that we maybe sparked some joy in some people's living rooms or something for people to celebrate in the time of lockdown," Spencer Turrin, Australian Rower and Gold Medallist in the Men's Four at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics told reporters in Tokyo. - AFP/Reuters


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