Covid Australia live update: NSW puts four Sydney LGAs in lockdown after 22 new coronavirus cases

Everyone living or working in Woollahra, Waverley, Randwick and the city of Sydney must stay home as outbreak widens. Follow latest updates

3.59am BST

Khorshid:

I don’t think an early approach would have prevented the situation right now in Sydney.

If we had managed to procure enough vaccine for our whole country and had the job finished by the middle of the year, then yes, we would not be leading lockdown now in Sydney, that is fairly clear, but the reality is we have not had the vaccines available. Australia is doing everything it can to access enough vaccine. We have over 200 million doses ordered. We just need to be patient for the rest of the year and keep up the fight. We know how to battle this virus, we have done it successfully again and again in each state and territory, all slightly different but all successful, and we need to stay the course until the vaccination program is complete.

3.55am BST

Korshid:

It is good to see the prime minister making concrete steps towards opening up quarantine facilities that are fit for purpose, safe and appropriately located close to airports and hospitals. We really welcome these announcements in the last couple of days for potentially Western Australia and Queensland and of course the more solid announcement in Victoria. We hope that both the Queensland and WA governments will work with the federal government to set up these facilities.

We would like to see facilities in each state and territory, particularly when there are international arrivals. We don’t know how long we will be battling Covid-19 but it will be for years, and we don’t know when the next pandemic is coming. So this will be an investment in Australia’s future and health but it does not need to be wasted – these facilities can be used for social housing, detention centres, some other purpose, so we don’t think it is a waste of money and this should be set up anywhere arrivals are coming back from overseas.

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Source: The Guardian