The delta variant of the novel coronavirus has caused restrictions and stay-at-home orders to help keep people safe from the spread of the virus, The New York Times reports.
Countries such as Malaysia, Australia and others have added new COVID-19 restrictions to deal with the spread of the delta variant.
- Malaysia said there would be a nationwide stay-at-home order that would extend indefinitely to deal with the novel coronavirus variant.
Four major Australian cities — Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Darwin — have added strict lockdowns to stop the spread of the virus, The New York Times reports.
- In total, close to 10.2 million people have been pushed into lockdown to deal with the spread of the coronavirus. So far, Australia has seen 271 active COVID-19 cases, many of which are showing up in New South Wales, according to CNN.
- Australia has been one of the most successful countries in keeping COVID-19 clamped down. But the slow vaccination rollout has made it more difficult for the country to defeat the infectious delta variant.
Officials told The New York Times that the spread has been among the unvaccinated. Low vaccination rates are causing the virus to move through populations, which might mean the US could see a spike in cases in some regions.
- “Anywhere you carry out vaccination, the disease will be pushed into the unvaccinated population,” Raina MacIntyre, a professor of global biosecurity at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, told The New York Times,
In response to these outbreaks, the World Health Organization has urged fully vaccinated people to wear their face masks in public spaces to avoid the spread of the novel coronavirus.
- “People cannot feel safe just because they had the two doses. They still need to protect themselves,” said Dr. Mariangela Simao, WHO assistant director-general, last Friday, according to USA Today.