The city is reportedly battling to bring the outbreak of COVID-19 Dedta variant under control.

Officials reported 17 new cases on Friday, taking the cluster to 65 cases, reports BBC.

It is the first lockdown imposed in the city since December.

The stay-at-home order will affect the city centre and inner-city suburbs, as well as beachside suburbs in the east, reports BBC.

"We don't want to see this situation linger for weeks. We would like to see this situation end sooner rather than later," New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian was quoted as saying by BBC.

The lockdown will remain effective till july 2.

Sydney’s economy will take a $310 million hit from a week-long lockdown despite the Berejiklian government confining the shutdown to four council areas as the state scrambles to slow the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.