New lockdown measures have been introduced as the COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney worsens.
On Saturday afternoon, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced all of Greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast and Wollongong, will go into lockdown with stay-at-home orders in place until midnight Friday, July 9.
The state reported 29 new locally acquired cases in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday, 17 of which had been announced yesterday. The source of one case remains under investigation.
NSW recorded 29 new locally acquired cases of #COVID19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. This includes 17 cases which were announced on Friday morning. pic.twitter.com/78izt7RJv1
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) June 26, 2021
Sydney has been battling to contain a cluster of the Delta variant of COVID-19, which is up to twice as infectious as the original virus that arrived in Australia last year.
"Even though we don't want to impose burdens unless we absolutely have to, unfortunately, this is a situation where we have to," the Premier said during the press conference.