Australia's two most populous states are dreadfully struggling in their uphill combat against the Delta variant of Covid-19 with both New South Wales and Victoria encountering an ever-increasing spike in the number of Delta cases.

New South Wales, where the outbreak started with a single case in its capital city of Sydney in mid-June, remains the epicenter of the quickly escalating national crisis, and as of August 19, the total locally acquired cases in the latest outbreak have reached 9,950, as per reports. As on date, 474 Covid-19 patients have been hospitalized in New South Wales, with 82 in intensive care, 25 of whom require ventilation. Among the other grim daily statistics were that 511 of the cases were under investigation. 59 cases were infectious in the community, and the isolation status of 459 cases remains unidentified.

South Wales authorities announced that the lockdown on the state's regional areas will be extended until August 28, the same date that the lockdown on Greater Sydney and surrounding areas is scheduled to end, as 25 among the new cases were detected in the state's western region. Along with the increasing local transmission, came the more willingness of residents to get vaccinated, as vaccination figures steadily rise.

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