SYDNEY - Australia reported its biggest one-day rise in coronavirus infections yesterday, as the authorities began doling out emergency supplies of vaccine in the Sydney suburbs worst hit by an outbreak of the fast-moving Delta strain.
Officials allocated more than half the supply of Pfizer vaccines bought from Poland, or about 500,000 doses, to the city's dozen worst-affected suburbs where they will be given to those younger than 40 over the next two weeks.
The ramp-up in jabs provides hope to Sydney amid its worst outbreak since the pandemic began, said New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
"The next few weeks will be hard but no doubt once we get those high vaccination rates, life will feel much better, it will look much rosier," she said.
Yesterday's daily nationwide figure of 754 cases surpassed the previous single-day high of 738 on Aug 5 last year. New South Wales accounted for the bulk of infections, or 681, and it recorded a new death.
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The state has completed vaccination of 28.5 per cent of its population, with about 52 per cent having received one dose.
Cases more than doubled to 57 in Melbourne yesterday, while the Australian Capital Territory, home to Canberra, reported 16 local infections.
Meanwhile, New Zealand reported 11 cases yesterday, taking the total to 21.
Only about 23 per cent of its 5 million people have been fully vaccinated, the lowest rate among the 38 members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
