Australians told to ‘maintain vigilance’ as coronavirus curbs eased
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Australians need to stay on guard against new outbreaks of novel coronavirus as mobility restrictions are eased across the country this week, authorities said, as the death toll rose to 98 on Wednesday.
Australia is one of the most successful countries in its handling of the pandemic, with about 7,000 cases and the average daily increase sliding to just 0.14%.
But the COVID-19 crisis would be a “marathon, not a sprint”, Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretary Philip Gaetjens told a parliamentary committee as it began looking into Australia’s response to the pandemic on Wednesday.
New South Wales state, of which Sydney is the capital, recorded six new cases overnight after zero on Tuesday, with three linked to community transmission.
The death toll rose after an 81-year-old woman who contracted the virus on the Ruby Princess cruise ship died overnight.
With some mobility restrictions set to be lifted in New South Wales, the country’s most populous state on Friday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned residents to not let their guard down.
In Victoria, where lockdown laws are being eased to allow small dinner parties, fishing and hikes, new cases rose by seven on Wednesday after 17 the previous day.
