NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is expected to announce today an extension of the state's Covid-19 lockdown orders as well as new restrictions for schools returning from holidays.
Police officers walk past The Sydney Opera House during the first day of lockdown in Sydney, Australia. Photo: AFP
More than 330 locally acquired cases of Covid-19 have been recorded since mid-June when the virus broke out in Sydney's eastern suburbs and spread west of the city.
Twelve days ago, the state government introduced stay-at-home orders restricting the movements of people in four local government areas overlapping the Harbour City before broadening it to Greater Sydney and its surrounding regions.
The lockdown was scheduled to finish at the end of this Friday but with the state still in a perilous position due to the ultra-infectious Delta strain, this will no longer be the case.
Berejiklian will announce those orders currently in place in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Shellharbour, Wollongong and the Central Coast will be extended for a week.
It is the second time the stay-at-home orders have been lengthened.
The decision was made by the NSW government's Crisis Cabinet Committee after extensive meetings yesterday morning and again in the afternoon.
Until 11.59pm local time next Friday, residents will still only be able to leave their home for essentials reasons such as shopping, exercise or for medical reasons including to receive their Covid-19 vaccine shot.
The Premier is also tipped to announce new restrictions for students and educators when school resumes next week.
From Tuesday, learning will be online for schools and students in Greater Sydney for four days.
However, regional NSW schools will be able to have face-to-face learning when class resumes.
Non-essential businesses will remain shut. However, the NSW government is expected to unveil a plan to alleviate the impact of extended closures in the coming days.
Yesterday, the Premier said she did not want NSW residents to be anxious about the future.
"I don't want anyone to feel worried or concerned, but we are always very honest to say that the Delta strain is different, and so that is why we are in the situation we are in but moving forward," Ms Berejiklian said.
She said she hoped this would be the "last lockdown" until the majority of residents were vaccinated.
- ABC
