Australia sees a record high in COVID-19 cases

Australia's new daily cases of COVID-19 topped 1,000 for the first time since the pandemic began.

Two major hospitals in Sydney have set up emergency outdoor tents to help deal with a rise in patients.

The city is struggling to stamp out a surge in the fast-spreading Delta variant as daily infections are hitting record levels even after two months under lockdown.

New South Wales (NSW) state reported 1,029 new locally acquired cases, exceeding the previous record of 919 a day earlier.

Of the new cases, 969 were detected in greater Sydney, up from 838.

State Premier Gladys Berejiklian said that the authorities had quadrupled the number of the state's intensive care ventilators to 2,000 early last year.

Although the system is "under pressure", it can withstand the current crisis once vaccination rates rise, she said.

"It might be different to the help you got before because of the situation, but please know the system is kicking in," Berejiklian said at a televised media conference.