Delta is rewriting the Covid rules as NSW, Victoria outbreaks grow Melbourne is once again in lockdown. Photo / Getty Images Delta is rewriting the Covid rules as NSW, Victoria outbreaks grow Sun, 18 Jul 2021, 1:45PM The emergence of the Delta variant in Australia is rewriting the rules for how states respond to new outbreaks and one expert says the country may not be able to go back to what life was like before the latest lockdowns. The rapid spread of the virus put Greater Sydney in lockdown for only the second time since the pandemic began, while Victoria is now in its fifth shutdown.