In Australia's largest city, Sydney, men in camouflage clothing have been on patrol since Monday to ensure compliance with the corona rules.

The approximately 300 soldiers of the Australian Defense Force are reinforcing the police in the particularly badly affected districts on the street and during house calls, during which it is checked whether the residents who have tested positive for the corona virus are adhering to the self-isolation.

They are also supposed to help with the distribution of food and the establishment of vaccination centers.

Till Fähnders

Political Correspondent for Southeast Asia.

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The mission, which came about at the request of the state of New South Wales, was not about "spreading fear," assured Mick Fuller, the police chief of New South Wales.

He was also reacting to the criticism that the soldiers were mainly deployed in the west of Sydney, where a particularly large number of people with a migration background lived.

According to the authorities, the soldiers are also unarmed and under the orders of the police forces.

But with the use of the army in the fight against the pandemic, the authorities are also reacting to the criticism that people did not adhere to the rules sufficiently.

This fact is held responsible, among other things, for the fact that, despite the introduction of the corona measures in various areas of Australia, new sources of infection are constantly being discovered.

Too hesitant approach

Australia was actually one of the countries that were able to contain the spread of the virus in the first year of the pandemic with the help of strict border closings, tracking and quarantine measures.

To date, the country of 25 million people has reported only 34,000 infections and 920 deaths.

But as in other countries, the particularly contagious Delta variant caused an increase in cases “Down Under”.

This time, the metropolis of Sydney is particularly affected. In comparison to the second largest city, Melbourne, which had been subject to long-lasting lockdowns, its inhabitants had continued their lives for months largely unimpressed.

Now Sydney's five million residents are only allowed to leave their homes for sports, work, medical treatment and shopping for groceries.

The government of New South Wales has been criticized for initially being too hesitant with the measures that were imposed more than five weeks ago, which now necessitates stricter enforcement. The current lockdown should initially apply until the end of the month. However, there is already speculation about an extension, since the numbers with 207 detected local infections on Monday remained at a high level by Australian standards despite curfew.

The lockdown that had been imposed on some areas of neighboring Queensland over the weekend was also extended on Monday. It was originally intended to be valid for three days, but has now been extended to Sunday for the time being. Among other things, the Gold Coast, which is popular with holidaymakers, and Brisbane, the third largest city in the country, are affected. There, the head of the Queensland health department, Jeannette Young, warned of an "escalating" situation. She called on the residents to follow the rules. In the morning she saw way too many cars on the road. “I don't understand why there are still people in the office today. Why don't you stay at home? ”She asked. The doctor spoke to people in their conscience: "If you don't necessarily have to leave your house, then don't do it," she said.