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SYDNEY: Dozens of domestic flights due to depart from Sydney were canceled on Monday (December 21) and authorities issued more city-wide health alerts as Australia struggled to contain a new COVID-19 outbreak in its largest city four days before Christmas.
More than 50 places, including cafes, gyms, casinos and supermarkets across Sydney, have been infected so far and authorities urged anyone who has visited the places to get tested and isolate themselves immediately.
A new group of viruses, which was detected in Sydney’s northern coastal suburbs last week, grew to nearly 70 cases, prompting all other states and territories to close borders to Sydney’s 5 million residents, which made his Christmas travel plans a disaster.
Qantas Airways said several customers canceled their bookings between Sydney and Melbourne, one of the busiest routes in the world before the pandemic, and on other domestic routes since Monday.
READ: Singing and dancing ban in Sydney as COVID-19 cluster grows
“Several flights will be canceled … we will be contacting customers directly affected by any flight changes,” Qantas and its low-cost arm, Jetstar, said in a statement.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said it was “almost certain” that there would be more cases on Monday in the state of New South Wales, of which Sydney is the capital, due to the large amount of testing being carried out.
“We’ve always said there would be additional cases, additional outbreaks over the course of the summer and for most of 2021,” Hunt told Australian Broadcasting Corp. television.
“But we know how to do this as a country, we know how to flatten this curve. We have done it before.”
READ: Parts of Sydney blocked as Australia battles growing COVID-19 cluster
Australia has largely avoided high coronavirus numbers compared to other developed nations, but the new group has sparked fears of a broader outbreak. The country has recorded just under 28,200 cases and 908 deaths since the pandemic began.
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