Australia: Brisbane to lift lockdown, New South Wales witnesses COVID-19 surge

Australia's New South Wales recorded 262 new coronavirus cases as the country continues to be gripped with fresh cases of coronavirus.

New South Wales had recorded 319 infections on Saturday as authorities warned of a "tipping point" with exponential COVID-19 growth. A woman who wasn't vaccinated died as hospitalisations have increased in the region.

Meanwhile, authorities announced Brisbane will lift its lockdown on Sunday after stay-at-home orders were issued for citizens for the past eight days.

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Authorities said the Delta outbreak has been contained in the past ten days after the first case emerged in Brisbane. Authorities had announced a snap three-day lockdown in the northern city of Cairns.

Australia has been slow to vaccinate its citizens with just 20 per fully vaccinated even as it had closed its borders last year for travellers ensuring strict border control.

As the virus continues to spread, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said: "Given where numbers are, given the experience of Delta overseas, we now have to live with Delta one way or another, and that is pretty obvious."

Health officials have approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 12 to 18 year age group with children, adolescents and young adults with severe disease and complications also eligible to receive the vaccine.

The virus cases have been increasing in the country after the Delta variant was discovered in mid-June with over 16 million Australians now in some form of virus restrictions at home.

Sydney and Melbourne have been hit by lockdowns as stay-at-home restrictions have been widened across the country.

Victoria's premier Daniel Andrews had said earlier that "there is no alternative to lockdown" as the virus cases continued to surge in the country. 

Australia has so far recorded over 36,000 COVID-19 and 935 related deaths since the pandemic took hold in the country, however, the recent surge in coronavirus for the past two months has plunged the country into a series of lockdowns.

(With inputs from Agencies)