Australia hits vaccine milestone as Melbourne cases hover near record levels

FILE PHOTO: A healthcare worker walks down stairs at the Kings Park townhouse complex locked down in response to an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Melbourne, Australia, June 16, 2021. REUTERS/Sandra Sanders

SYDNEY (Reuters) -More than half of Australia's adult population were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Friday, authorities said, as they step up inoculations in hopes of easing restrictions while cases linger near daily record levels in Victoria.

Australia is grappling with a third wave of infections from the highly infectious Delta variant that has led to lockdowns in its two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, and the capital, Canberra, affecting nearly half the country's 25 million people.