Australia was bracing for more Covid-19 infections and hospitalisations, officials said, even as it moves toward gradually easing pandemic restrictions with the vast majority of its people getting vaccinated against the virus.

Sydney, in a lockdown for more than 100 days, is to ease some key restrictions for the fully vaccinated from Monday. More than 70 per cent of people across New South Wales state, of which Sydney is the capital, have been fully vaccinated, according to a Reuters report.

“We know that as we open up, case numbers will increase,” said New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet. “But what has been key to keeping people safe is our high vaccination rate.”