1,700 Kids Under 5 Years Old Contracted COVID-19 In Australia

KEY POINTS

More than 3,000 children under 10 have contracted COVID-19 in Australia
There has only been 1 death in children between the ages of 10 to 19
Childcare workers in select areas in New South Wales will be required to have at least one dose of vaccine by Sept. 6

More than 1,700 children under the age of 5 in Australia have been diagnosed with COVID-19, new data shows.

As of Tuesday, Australia’s Department of Health reported a total of 1,733 cases in the 0-4 age group to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, according to data obtained by Guardian Australia.

The figures made up nearly half of the 3,552 total number of COVID-19 infections reported in children under the age of 10 since January 2020. In children aged 10 to 14, officials reported more than 2,000 cases. At least 2,972 cases were reported in those aged 15 to 19.

Australian authorities are yet to record deaths among children under the age of 10. However, there was one death in the 10 to 19 age group involving a male individual.

The 80-89 age group has witnessed the most number of COVID-19 deaths, with 205 deaths among males and 210 fatalities among females, according to data from Australia’s Department of Health.

The New South Wales government last week announced that all childcare workers in local government areas of concern are required to have at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 6 as concerns over transmission of the virus among youth continue to grow. The NSW government also said that it is planning to extend the mandate across the state by November.

“Members have found the public health order has supported them to ensure that their workplace is safe – safe for the workforce, and safe for the children,” Elizabeth Death from the Early Learning and Care Council of Australia told the Guardian.

The data comes as Australia recently exceeded 1,000 COVID-19 deaths amid the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant in Sydney, the country’s biggest city, and Melbourne.

Four new fatalities were reported Monday, bringing the country’s death toll to 1,003. Australia's coronavirus death toll, however, is quite less than most other advanced countries due to its early success in containing the virus. Authorities have recorded an average of three deaths in recent days, according to CNBC.

Despite the figures, the Australian government said it plans to end its “covid zero” policy once 80% of its adult population gets vaccinated against the virus, noting that the policy is not “sustainable,” according to The Economist.