Australia Lockdowns, Vaccination Appear to Suppress Delta Spread

(Bloomberg) -- The delta outbreak in Australia’s most populous state appears to be slowing, after a months-long lockdown and mass vaccination effort in New South Wales. 

The state recorded six deaths and 1,063 cases on Thursday as health officials reported almost 56% of its population had been fully vaccinated. The state’s 7-day moving average fell to its lowest since Sept. 1, according to Bloomberg calculations on health department data. 

Meantime, Australia’s second-most populous state, Victoria, reported four deaths and a daily record of 766 virus infections as authorities struggled to bring the delta outbreak under control. Almost 46% of the state’s adult population have been fully vaccinated, Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters. 

New South Wales saw a change in trajectory once half their adult population had been fully vaccinated, so “if we all get vaccinated, we’ll drive down these numbers,” Andrews said. 

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