More than 1,500 police officers were deployed to the streets of Sydney on Saturday, August 21, 2021, and carpooling. Some public transport routes to the city center were blocked to prevent a planned protest against the closure.
“Public safety is our priority, and you will be fined or arrested if you show up,” NSW police said in a statement on their Twitter account, adding that the protest was unauthorized and risked further spreading. COVID-19.
Sydney, a city of more than 5 million people, has been on a strict lockdown for weeks, struggling to contain an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus, which has now caused cases in other Australian towns and cities, as well as In New Zeeland.
Australian media reported that a similar protest was planned in Melbourne, a city of more than 5 million people, which is in its sixth shutdown since the pandemic. On Saturday, 61 new cases acquired locally in Melbourne and throughout the state of Victoria were reported.
Compliance with public health regulations had been one of the key reasons cited behind Australia’s success in managing the pandemic before the third wave of Delta variant infections.
A July poll by New South Wales-based market research firm Utting Research showed that only people supported the demonstrations.
Australia’s COVID-19 numbers remain relatively low, with just over 42,200 cases and 975 deaths.
Eric is a professional news editor, writer, and blogger for the last 10 years. He is working with NewsGater as an off-beat news editor cum writer.