First local COVID-19 death reported this year in Australia

Australia reported its first death linked to a locally acquired case of COVID-19 for the first time this year.

Officials say that a woman in her 90s from Sydney contracted COVID-19 and later died hours later, The Guardian reported. Authorities believe she had been unvaccinated. 

The state of New South Wales also reported 77 new cases of COVID-19 as of Sunday, a record for 2021 according to Reuters. The previous record had been 50 cases, recorded on Saturday. There were 550 active cases as of Sunday, the highest number reported from any of the country’s states.

State Premier Gladys Berejiklian said that Sydney, which is currently under lockdown and is the country’s biggest city, was expected to see even more cases.

“I’ll be shocked if it’s less than 100 this time tomorrow, of additional new cases,” Berejiklian said during a televised briefing, according to Reuters. 

Of the 77 cases reported on Sunday, 33 people had spent time in the community while they were positive for COVID-19. Officials believe it is likely that the lockdown, which was supposed to be lifted in Sydney and other areas on Friday, will extend past the original deadline.

“I think it’s pretty plain to see that the numbers are not going in the right direction at this point in time … given the lockdown was supposed to be lifted on Friday, everybody can tell it’s highly unlikely at this stage, given where the numbers are,” Berejiklian said.

Chief health officer Kerry Chant was so worried about the surge of new cases in Sydney that she is asking patients who have already received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to ask their doctor to see if the period between their first and second doses can be reduced, The Guardian reported. 

Chant said she understands that there patients may be risking “a bit of long-term protection,” but said the move was necessary.