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Covid in Australia: Is the rise in cases due to 'bureaucratic ineptitude'?

Only 5% of the population is currently fully vaccinated and the Delta variant, which is highly contagious, is present in the country and spreading.

Australia has appeared to have handled the pandemic well by closing borders, quarantining and testing. However, only five percent of the population is currently fully vaccinated and the Delta variant, which is highly contagious, is present in the country and spreading.

An outbreak in Sydney, Australia, linked to the highly contagious Delta variant has grown to 128 cases. Cases have also been recorded in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia. The prime minister of Australia, Scott Morrison, has called an emergency cabinet meeting of state and territory leaders today to discuss the pandemic and new restrictions have now been introduced by four states, including Western Australia.

Dr Andrew Miller, an anaesthetist and former GP in Perth and the spokesperson of the Western Australian branch of the Australian Medical Association, explains how Australia is lagging behind in communication about the spread of Covid and its vaccination programme.

Photo: People walk through Martin Place in the central business district of Sydney on June 28, 2021, during a two-week coronavirus lockdown Credit: Getty Images

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2 minutes