‘More lethal strain could come’: Gladys Berejiklian’s alarming Covid warning

Gladys Berejiklian has given an alarming prediction about what will hit after the Delta strain, warning residents the fight is far from over.

The NSW Premier has warned of a more “lethal strain” of Covid-19 even after the state emerges from its battle with the Delta variant.

Gladys Berejiklian said health authorities were discussing the options in terms of easing restrictions, if any, when the lockdown is scheduled to end on July 30.

But she has foreshadowed it’s very likely that will not be the case given case numbers continue to remain high.

The Premier said “we will have to live with some level of restrictions” until enough Australians were vaccinated.

“The Delta strain is so contagious and without being too scary, when the Delta strain goes away, another more lethal strain could come,” she told the Today show.

“That’s why it’s really important for our population to be vaccinated as soon as we can because even one dose doesn’t just help keep you out of hospital, but one dose also reduces how contagious you are.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said another strain could be around the corner. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

“When you have a major outbreak like the one we have … that (being vaccinated) obviously helps stop the spread to the extent we’ve seen in the last few weeks.”

But Ms Berejiklian confessed that even when people were vaccinated, authorities would still need to strike a balance between that and restrictions.

“I’ve said it’s always a combination of both. As we move through we’ll go from lockdown to restrictions. You always need that in place when you’re dealing with the Delta variant,” she said.

Earlier, the Premier lashed the thousands of Sydneysiders who flocked to the city to voice their detest at the citywide lockdown amid fears it could trigger a spike in case numbers.

“I’d love to be able to say, ‘I think this is it’ (peak), but when you see an event like Saturday … even if one or two people had the virus at an event like that, we won’t know for a week or two how many people have been infected because of that,” she told 2GB’s Ben Fordham on Monday.

People exercising in Coogee. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar

“Even one or two superspreader events can really impact the way things turn out.”

She was probed about whether lockdown would be extended for several more weeks but said it was still too early to make the call.

“I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions like that,” she said.

“We’re still working all that out, we’re getting the best health advice.

“I’m just blown away by the work our contact tracers have done because in other parts of the world Delta (variant) is running riot.”