Prognosis

Delta Outbreak Sees Once-Envied Australia Losing Its Luster

  • Perth joins Sydney, Darwin in lockdown as clusters emerge
  • Slow vaccine rollout is making nation vulnerable to strain

Light traffic crosses the Harbour Bridge in Sydney on June 28.

Photographer: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images

Lock
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The Australian city of Perth has joined Sydney and Darwin in a business-crippling lockdown to contain the nationwide spread of the delta variant, as Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s balancing act of keeping Australians safe and the economy open becomes increasingly precarious.