s part of an effort to encourage inoculations, Australia’s largest city will lift some COVID-19 regulations for vaccinated people ahead of schedule next week, while delaying relaxations in rules promised to unvaccinated Sydney residents.
From November 8th, vaccinated residents in the harbour metropolis with a population of 5 million, will be able to have an unlimited number of visitors in their houses.
In addition, pubs and clubs will be permitted to accommodate more people and reopen dance floors, as part of reforms that were set to take effect on December 1st.
Unvaccinated people, on the other hand, will continue to be excluded from restaurants, non-critical retail establishments, pubs, gyms and other recreational facilities until December 15, or when the state of New South Wales’ double vaccination rate hits 95 percent.
State Premier Dominic Perrottet told reporters in Sydney that they have always intended to open up in a methodical approach and incentivize vaccination rates.
Around 88 percent of the state’s population aged 16 and up has been fully vaccinated, but the pace of first-dose vaccination is dropping as it approaches 94 percent.
After more than 18 months, Australia relaxed a prohibition on its citizens flying overseas, allowing fully vaccinated international travellers to enter quarantine-free.
The modifications, however, will initially affect mainly Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, with other states and territories aiming for different reopening dates.
For the majority of this year, Australia had been virus-free until a third wave in late June, sparked by the Delta variant, which prompted even more extensive lockdowns.
Around 173,000 cases and 1,756 fatalities have been reported in the country, with the Delta wave responsible for 82 percent of illnesses.
On Tuesday, New South Wales reported 173 cases, up from 135 the day before and Victoria reported 989 instances, the lowest increase in more than a month. Eight new cases have been reported in the Australian Capital Territory. Other states and territories have no or few cases of COVID
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