Australian state ramps up COVID-19 vaccination efforts with restrictions extended

SYDNEY - Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) will ramp up COVID-19 vaccination as a mass vaccination center opened on Monday.

Residents aged 40 to 49 can register interest for Pfizer vaccine from Monday afternoon, while people aged 50 and over can make an appointment for the AstraZeneca vaccine from Wednesday.

During its first weeks of operation, the center will focus on delivering Pfizer vaccinations to priority groups including healthcare workers, emergency services workers as well as quarantine and border workers and their households.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the mass vaccination center will be able to administer up to 30,000 vaccines per week once it is up and running, that means around 5,000 vaccinations per day.

The center, combined with the more than 100 NSW Health run clinics and hubs, means NSW Health can administer around 60,000 vaccines each week across the state.

NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant urged everyone eligible in the state to get vaccinated.

"Vaccination is very effective at reducing your risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19 and will also reduce the chance you will pass on the infection to your loved ones," Chant said.

Meanwhile, the state is facing an extra week of COVID-19 restrictions to safeguard the community and reduce the risk of further transmission despite no new locally acquired cases were recorded on Monday.

These temporary restrictions were initially put in place until 12:01 a.m. Monday for the Greater Sydney region after two local cases were confirmed last week.