Brisbane Joins Sydney, Perth in Australian Lockdowns as new COVID Cases Reported

Brisbane and surrounding Australian cities will enter a lockdown late Tuesday after recording two new COVID-19 infections, the Associated Press reported. The Queensland state capital joins Sydney and Perth, which are already in lockdown.

Sydney documented 19 new infections on Australia's east coast, while Perth reported two new cases on the west coast. Northern Australia's Darwin also recently reported two new infections.

Despite Australia's success in limiting the COVID-19 impact, with less than 31,000 cases and 910 total deaths, a slow vaccination campaign and vaccine hesitancy have left the nation's population susceptible to the virus. Just 5 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, and Australia has made the AstraZeneca vaccine available to all adults despite reports of blood clots caused by the shot, the Associated Press reported.

The Pfizer vaccine was recommended for people younger than 60 after a 52-year old woman died from blood clots in the brain from the AstraZeneca vaccine, but the demand for Pfizer outweighs the supply.

"It's a discussion for doctors to have with their own patients and work through their own risk and benefit in relation to that," Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said Tuesday.