Live Breaking News: Epidemiologist says ending lockdown by September is a 'fantasy'

Melbourne epidemiologist Nancy Baxter has squashed hopes that NSW will be out of lockdown by the end of the month, saying anyone who thinks otherwise is living in a 'fantasy'.

Melbourne epidemiologist Nancy Baxter has deemed NSW's hopes of lockdown winding up by the end of August a "fantasy".

 

 

 

Appearing on The Project, Professor Baxter's outlook for Greater Sydney was grim. Despite recording its worst day of case numbers since the pandemic began, Prof Baxter said the state could be yet to hit its peak.

"You really need something to change the equation to kind of really drive those numbers down, or it's going to be an extremely long haul," she said.

"I'm not sure when the numbers will peak. If something doesn't change, you're looking at months before you really get down in terms of the numbers where you could even contemplate opening up in Sydney. It's going to be a really long haul before you get to very low numbers."

Meanwhile, Australia's chief medical officer Paul Kelly has declared the nation, and in particular NSW, are now fighting "a pandemic of the unvaccinated".     

The terminology has been used in recent weeks by experts in the US as well as President Joe Biden, as America once again fights rising case numbers because of the Delta strain. 

As lockdowns continue in Queensland and Victoria as well, Professor Kelly urged Australians to come forward and get the jab.

"We know that vaccines work to decrease severe illness. It decreases transmission. It decreases death and it is clearly the way forward as we've talked [about] a lot this week, after the modelling from the Doherty [Institute]," the CMO told reporters after this afternoon's National Cabinet meeting.

"So the clear message today is get vaccinated…Vaccination is the way out and we know where we're going with that and particularly, this is the hotspot areas, please make an appointment and talk to your GP about your vaccination options right now."

Read on for the latest national Covid news here. You can find today's live blog for Victoria here.