- NSW will lift exercise restrictions for some Sydney suburbs, despite 1288 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours
- Residents in 12 local government areas will no longer be restricted to one-hour of exercise, though 9pm to 5am curfews remain in place for hotspots
- Victoria had been planning to ease restrictions before an uptick in COVID-19 cases this week, with 176 infections reported today
- Instead Premier Daniel Andrews says the state will need to wait until over 70 per cent of its population is vaccinated against COVID-19
- So far, 20 million doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines have been administered across Australia
NSW will soon lift exercise restrictions for some Sydney suburbs, despite 1288 new cases of COVID-19 being recorded in the past 24 hours.
Seven people also died at home or in hospitals across NSW on Thursday, with 160 people fighting for life in intensive care units.
However Premier Gladys Berejikllian said from tomorrow, residents in 12 local government areas could exercise for more than an hour, though curfews would remain in place.
“Previously we’d only allowed an hour a day to exercise and now the public health experts have given us the green light to allow everybody who lives in a local government area of concern to have unlimited exercise from 5am to 9pm,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The curfew will still be in place. The exercise rule is now the same for every person across NSW in terms of that ability and again, especially to citizens in local government areas of concern, thank you to the effort you’re going to.”
Victoria had been planning to ease restrictions this week before an uptick in COVID-19 cases halted the plan.
The state notched up 176 new cases of the virus on Thursday, and 124 on Wednesday, with more than 60 people in hospital with COVID-19.
Premier Daniel Andrews said until 70 per cent of adult Victorians were vaccinated, most restrictions would need to remain in place.
“In just the last two days, the number of cases, the nature of those cases, the depth of the seeding of this outbreak has become clear and the chief health officer’s advice to me and the Government has changed, fundamentally changed,” Mr Andrews said.
So far, 20 million doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines have been administered across Australia.
Victoria is expected to have vaccinated 70 per cent of its adult population with one dose by the end of September, while Sydney has already reached that mark.