Australia needs to make COVID-19 lockdowns 'a thing of the past' amid fighting 3rd wave: Treasurer

Canberra [Australia], October 11 (ANI/Xinhua): Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has declared that there will be no turning back to COVID-19 lockdowns as restrictions ease across the east coast amid the country's battle against the third wave of infections.
Frydenberg said that it was time for Australians to learn to live with COVID-19 as the fully vaccinated rate among adults approaches 70 percent.
His comments came as Sydney exited lockdown after more than 100 days on Monday, with Canberra set to do so on Friday followed by Melbourne later in this month, marking an end to stay-at-home restrictions for more than half the Australian population.
"Let's open up and let's not go back," Frydenberg was quoted by News Corp Australia as saying on Monday.
"With vaccination rates rapidly climbing around the country, we need to make lockdowns a thing of the past and give people their freedoms back, re-engage with the world and allow the economy to reopen safely."
On Monday morning, Australia reported 2,140 new locally-acquired COVID-19 infections and 16 deaths.
New South Wales (NSW), Australia's most populous state with Sydney as the capital city, recorded 496 new local cases and eight deaths.
Victoria, the second-most populous state with Melbourne as the capital city, reported a further 1,612 new local cases and eight deaths
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) reported 32 new cases as it became the first state or territory in Australia to fully vaccinate 70 percent of its population aged 12 and over.
So far about 82.2 percent of Australians aged 16 and over have received one COVID-19 vaccine dose and 61.9 percent were fully vaccinated, according to the latest data released by the Department of Health. (ANI/Xinhua)