Sydney lockdown extended statewide, fines hiked as Australia faces ‘worst’ Covid episode

Sydney lockdown extended statewide, fines hiked as Australia faces ‘worst’ Covid episode

SYDNEY, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Australian police hiked fines for people breaking lockdown rules in Sydney and the rest of its home state on Saturday and strict stay-at-home orders were extended statewide amid a record jump in daily new COVID-19 infections.

State police will fine up to A$5,000 ($3,700) anyone breaching stay-at-home orders or for lying to contract-tracing officials, said state Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Previously breaching quarantine orders had carried a A$1,000 fine.

"We have to accept that this is the worst situation New South Wales has been in since day one. And it's also regrettably, because of that, the worst situation Australia's been in," she told a news conference.

Locally transmitted infections surged by a record 466 over the previous 24 hours, eclipsing the previous daily high of 390 set on Friday. Four deaths were recorded on Saturday, taking the state's total in the latest outbreak to 42.

It is becoming increasingly unlikely Sydney will end its nine-week lockdown on Aug. 28 as planned. Authorities had been talking about easing some restrictions if enough people are vaccinated and case numbers fall.

"We will get through this, but September and October are going to be very difficult," Berejiklian said.

"This is literally a war, and we've known we've been in a war for some time, but never to this extent."

Hundreds more defence personnel will be deployed next week to Sydney to help enforce the lockdown, with authorities particularly concerned about the spread of the virus to several regional towns.

A new A$3,000 fine will apply to people entering rural areas without an official permit, while stay-at-home orders were introduced for seven days in regional areas not currently in lockdown.

Weddings and funerals will get a day "grace period" and will be allowed on Sunday, but schools across the state will close, officials said. The head of the Australian Retailers Association, Paul Zahra, said the state-wide lockdown would come as a shock to many regional towns and could cost the economy A$1.5 billion ($1.11 billion) per week.

The permit to enter rural areas will only be granted for certain reasons including authorised work, property inspections or urgent work repairs on a second home. AGENCIES

SLOW AND UNSTEADY: The Delta variant-spurred second wave has hit Australia hard and it is dealing with a delay in vaccine supply. As of August 8, Australia had just over 3 million vaccine doses available, with nearly 10 million people yet to receive even a first dose