Canberra, Sep 10 (TIWN) Australia reported a record 1,901 new locally-acquired cases of Covid-19 on Friday morning as the country continues to battle the third wave of the pandemic.

Of the new cases, 1,542 were from New South Wales (NSW), Australia's most populous state with Sydney as the capital city, where the state health department also recorded nine deaths.  "There have been 162 COVID-19 related deaths in NSW" since June 16, 2021, said the statement from NSW Health.  Victoria, the second-most populous state with Melbourne as the capital city, reported a further 334 new local cases.  The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), where the adult vaccination rate hits 50 percent, reported 24 new cases on the 29th day of its lockdown, taking the number of active cases in the nation's capital to 238.  Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the vaccination rate made the ACT the first state or territory to hit the milestone.  "We are the first jurisdiction in the country to reach this important two-dose milestone for our 16 plus population," he said.  "Over the weekend we are on track to reach the 75 percent first dose milestone for our 16-plus population," Barr noted.  Despite the current outbreaks, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged state and territory leaders to hold their nerve on plans to re-open.