As the country fights a Delta-related outbreak, hundreds of Queensland's critical health workers have been forced to go into isolation. Meanwhile, New South Wales managed to administer 6 million vaccine doses in less than 4 weeks.Dr Jeannette Young, Queensland's chief health officer, stated that all cardiac surgeons at Queensland Childrens Hospital were included in the quarantine, causing delays in outpatient surgery.Millions of Queenslanders remain locked down in 11 local government areas, with almost 8,000 being quarantined in connection to the outbreak.On Tuesday, 16 additional local cases were reported by the state. This brings the total number of local cases to 47. The cluster involved exposure sites at at least three Brisbane hospitals.Queensland has so far avoided major outbreaks due to its strict policy regarding state border closures. Two returned travellers from the UK and one from Indonesia are responsible for the current lockdown. They flew from London at the beginning of June. The infection spread to other schools in the region.Greater Sydney saw another 199 cases. Gladys Berejiklian (NSW leader) said that she couldn't yet tell if cases had reached their peak after five weeks of stay at home orders. We don't know the case numbers and it is anyone's guess. I must be honest and say that we are not through the worst.The NSW response will continue to focus on vaccinations. They aim for 6m doses by August. About 3.9 million doses have been distributed. Berejiklian stated: Our strategy remains the protection of human life and to decrease hospitalisation. That's why vaccine strategy is so important. It is to keep people out hospital, slow down the spread and allow people to infect their family members.After it was placed under lockdown on the weekend, a near-deserted Brisbane centre has been restored. Photograph: Jono Searle/Getty ImagesFederal government rejected earlier Labor party suggestions to offer $300 incentives to increase vaccination rates in the country and provide a way out of persistent lockdowns. The scheme would cost $6bn. Anthony Albanese, the opposition leader, stated that vaccinations were a race Australians cannot afford to lose. This was a reference to Scott Morrison's assertion that the rollout was not a race.Only 15% of the population has been fully immunized, and 17% have had their first dose. This is despite a slow rollout, shortages in the Pfizer vaccine, and hesitation about using AstraZeneca.According to the Guardian Essential poll, most Australians are comfortable with passports for vaccinations that allow future domestic travel. Entertainment venues may also require proof of immunization before they will let them in. Sixty-two percent believed Australia should reopen its borders, and all restrictions should be lifted only after at least 80% of the population has been fully vaccinated.Berejiklian stated that in order to reopen the state, she would like to see as few infectious cases in the community as possible before the lockdown lifts. However, she refused to give more details.Two nursing homes and a major Sydney hospital are currently dealing with the outbreaks, which have forced more health care workers to withdraw from action. After a colleague with the Westmead hospital was infected, 36 staff are now being held in isolation. In Sydney, there are currently 232 Covid-19-infected patients.The outbreak at the Wyoming nursing home in Summer Hill, Sydney, arose to 18 residents and 2 staff members. A contract worker at St Hedwig Village in Blacktown also tested positive, but no additional cases have been reported.
