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“It was extremely disappointing to see another example of a small minority of the community showing a complete disregard for the health and safety of not only police, but each and every other Victorian,” Victoria Police said in a statement. By The Associated Press AugCANBERRA, Australia Australia’s capital Canberra will remain locked down until there are no more COVID-19 infections in the city, a government leader said on Friday. The vast majority of Australians support vaccinations and the public health measures, but there have been sporadic and sometimes violent protests against the management of the pandemic. Most of the restrictions in Victoria, New South Wales and Canberra are to remain until at least 70 percent of those 16 and older are fully vaccinated, which based on the current pace of inoculations could be in late October or early November.Ī high rate of compliance with public health orders has helped Australia keep the number of infections relatively low, with just under 85,000 total cases and 1,145 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Victoria police clash with protesters during a Rally for Freedom in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Sept. On Saturday, there were 1,882 new coronavirus cases reported, most of them in Sydney. In Sydney, riot squad officers, highway patrol, detectives and general duties police were also deployed to the streets, preventing large gatherings.Īustralia has been grappling with an outbreak of the Delta variant of the coronavirus since mid-June, with both Sydney and Melbourne and the capital Canberra, in strict lockdowns for weeks now. Public transport and ride shares into the city were suspended. Several officers were knocked to the ground and trampled, the police said and television footage showed.Ībout 700 people managed to gather in parts of Melbourne, as 2,000 officers made the city center virtually a no-go zone, setting up checkpoints and barricades. Victoria police said six officers required hospitalization. MELBOURNE, Sept 18 – Australia’s police arrested 235 people in Melbourne and 32 in Sydney on Saturday at unsanctioned anti-lockdown rallies and several police officers were injured in clashes with protesters. Robert Irwin reacts to woman asking for his number, reveals if he’s dating I can get paid nearly $1K per video to eat for men - but there’s one request I won’t do This dangerous sex crime is still legal in parts of Australia About 95% of new cases were New South Wales and Victoria states.Īustralia's tally of 265,000 infections and 2,162 deaths since the pandemic began is far lower than that of many countries.Australian shopper slams fellow customer’s ‘lazy’ aisle act "That is not a decision for myself as prime minister or the premiers and chief ministers," Morrison said.Īustralia on Wednesday reported more than 5,000 daily infections for the first time during the pandemic, eclipsing the previous high of about 4,600 the previous day. Morrison said vaccination hubs were accelerating the rollout of boosters but any decision to shorten the waiting time for the shots would be taken by vaccination experts. He also urged the country's states to reopen hundreds of vaccination hubs, to accelerate a booster rollout, which were shut down when double-dose rates in adults topped 80%. However, residents of most states, except the most populous New South Wales, have been ordered by their state governments to wear masks indoors in public buildings.Īustralia's federal and state leaders held an emergency meeting of national Cabinet on Wednesday to discuss rising cases, which are severely stretching testing facilities.Īfter the meeting, Morrison announced new vaccination funding for clinics and pharmacies. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo/File Photo Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison leaves Downing Street in London, Britain, June 15, 2021.