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Sydney records deadliest day of COVID-19 pandemic, Melbourne lockdown extended

16 August 2021 09:36 (UTC +04:00)

Australia's biggest city of Sydney recorded its deadliest day of the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday, while residents in Melbourne face a nightly curfew and a further two weeks of lockdown amid a surge in infections, APA reports citing Reuters.

Sydney, which is in its eighth week of lockdown, is the epicentre of Australia's third COVID-19 wave that threatens to push the country's A$2 trillion ($1.5 trillion) economy into its second recession in as many years.

New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said seven people in Sydney had died from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, surpassing the state's previous record daily toll from earlier this month.

Berejiklian said New South Wales has also detected 478 infections, the highest one-day rise since the pandemic begun.

"Our community transmission numbers are disturbingly high," Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.

"Every death is a person who has loved ones, who has died in tragic circumstances and our heartfelt condolences to all of those loved ones and families."

Authorities also confirmed the death of 15-year-old boy from Sydney, who had pneumococcal meningitis and COVID-19.

The toll was announced as 200 military personnel were deployed across Sydney to set up roadblocks to enforce restrictions of movement. Australia last month deployed 500 troops to help New South Wales.