Australian PM Urges for Easing Covid Curbs

CANBERRA:
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday called for governments to “step back” out of people’s lives and ease Covid-19 restrictions as the vaccination coverage was improving amid the country’s battle against the third wave of the pandemic.

Morrison condemned violent protests against proposed pandemic laws in the state of Victoria but said he sympathized with Australians frustrated with the ongoing restrictions, reports Xinhua news agency.

“I completely and totally and continue to denunciate any violence, any threat, any intimidation,” he told reporters.

“Australians have done their part. It’s now time for them to be able to step forward with their lives and for governments to step back out of their lives.”

On Friday morning, Australia reported 1,508 new locally-acquired Covid-19 cases and 11 deaths, which increased the cumulative totals to 195,624 and 1,933.

Till date, 91.2 per cent of Australians aged 16 and over have received one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 84.6 per cent were fully inoculated, according to the Department of Health.