Sydney
Millions of Sydney residents woke Sunday to the first full day of a two-week coronavirus lockdown, as Australia tried to contain an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant.
Restaurants, bars and cafes were shuttered after stay-at-home orders for central neighbourhoods were extended across Sydney and to the coastal and mountainous regions surrounding the sprawling city.
Authorities had initially imposed movement restrictions on only those in Sydney´s business district and affluent eastern suburbs, but the fast spread of cases in other areas saw the more drastic step introduced Saturday evening.
Australia´s northern city of Darwin will enter a separate snap 48-hour lockdown on Sunday after a handful of cases were linked to a coronavirus outbreak on a remote mine, Northern Territory authorities announced.
NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said officials were concerned about being unable to reach close contacts of infected people in the region.—AFP
