Coronavirus: Sydney beach suburbs in lockdown; India hits 10 million cases

Residents in Sydney’s northern suburbs have been ordered to stay at home from late Saturday until midnight on Wednesday

Meanwhile, India has crossed 10 million cases, and South Korea has recorded its fourth straight day of over 1,000 infections

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A usually busy shopping area in Avalon, Sydney, is shut as Covid-19 cases spike in the area. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 1:38pm, 19 Dec 2020Updated: 11:09pm, 19 Dec 2020

Parts of Sydney went into a fresh lockdown on Saturday as officials in Australia’s most populous city said they hoped the restrictions would be enough to control a growing outbreak in time for Christmas.

As a cluster of cases on the city’s northern beaches grew to 38, residents were ordered to stay at home from late Saturday until midnight on Wednesday, other than for essential reasons.

“We’re hoping that will give us sufficient time to get on top of the virus so that we can then ease up for Christmas and the New Year,” said Gladys Berejiklian, the state premier of New South Wales of which Sydney is the capital.

Cars queue at a drive-through Covid-19 testing line in Sydney on December 19, 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE

From 5pm on Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people in several suburbs were forced indoors with beaches, pubs and hotels closed.

Although the restrictions – which will be enforced by police – only apply to the northern beaches, Berejiklian pleaded with Sydney’s more than 5 million residents to stay home as much as possible over the coming days.