How vaccine chaos left covid-zero haven Australia locked down and exposed How vaccine chaos left covid-zero h... Just a few months ago, Australias virtually Covid-free status made it the envy of the world. Then the delta variant flipped the script. After about half a year of relatively normal daily life, Australia's biggest city is now in the third week of a strict lockdown that on Wednesday was extended until at least July 30. Sydney's normally bustling central business district is all but deserted, schools are closed and households are forbidden from mixing for fear of further spread among the 6 million population.