Australia's COVID-19 response team holds urgent meeting amid outbreak

A pedestrian crosses an empty intersection at morning commute hour in the city centre during a lockdown to curb the spread of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Sydney, Australia, June 28, 2021. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia's COVID-19 response committee is due to hold an emergency meeting on Monday as outbreaks of the highly contagious Delta variant across the country prompted a lockdown in Sydney and renewed restrictions elsewhere.

More than 20 million Australians, or around 80% of the population, are now under some form of lockdown or COVID-related restrictions as officials grapple with COVID-19 flare-ups in almost every state or territory.