sydney police in australias largest city have requested military help to enforce a coronavirus lockdown as infections in sydney reached a new record on thursdaycommissioner mick fuller said new south wales police had asked for 300 australian defence force personnel to be deployed to boost its operational footprintthe city of five million people is in its fifth week of a lockdown that is set to run until the end of auguststayathome orders have failed to reduce new infections to zero and compliance has been patchysydney residents are only allowed to leave their homes for exercise essential work medical reasons and to shop for necessities such as foodbut for weeks parks and beach promenades have been filled with sydneysiders drinking coffee and chatting with friendspolice have increasingly been doling out fines to those violating the restrictions and fuller said those efforts would be stepped up in the coming dayslast weekend thousands of people gathered in central sydney to protest against the measures and further demonstrations have been mootedpolice have also requested more powers to shut down businesses that they say are not abiding by rules on social distancingon thursday state premier gladys berejiklian warned that the outbreak which began midjune when a driver for an international flight crew contracted the virus is likely to get worseofficials announced 239 new infections in sydney a record for this outbreak which now totals 2810 caseswith under 14 per cent of the australian population vaccinated many experts have warned that sydneys lockdown could run for months moresupplies of pfizerbiontech shots are low and there has been widespread scepticism about the astrazeneca jab slowing the vaccine rollout