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Brisbane extends Covid-19 lockdown while army patrols Sydney

This article is more than 12 months old

SYDNEY: Australia's Queensland state yesterday extended a Covid-19 lockdown in Brisbane, while soldiers began patrolling Sydney to enforce stay-at-home rules as Australia struggles to stop the highly contagious Delta variant.

Queensland detected 13 cases in the past 24 hours - the biggest one-day rise the state has recorded in a year.

The lockdown of Brisbane was due to end today but will now stay in place until late on Sunday.

"It is starting to become clear that the initial lockdown will be insufficient for the outbreak," Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles said.

New South Wales state, home to locked-down Sydney, said yesterday it detected 207 infections in the past 24 hours as daily new cases continue to linger near a 16-month high recorded late last week.

The state has recorded more than 3,500 infections since the outbreak began in June and has asked for the military to help enforce curbs in Sydney which is in its sixth week of lockdown.

Some 300 army personnel, who will be unarmed and under police command, yesterday began door-to-door visits to ensure people who have tested positive are in their homes.

They also accompanied police patrolling the areas of Sydney where most cases have been recorded. - REUTERS

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