All lockdowns accomplish is extend the pandemic over a longer time period — multiple years — until herd immunity is reached. While you’re stretching out that pandemic you are going to see mutated forms of the virus each year or flu season. Each will in turn get their crack at the non-immune in the population.
Australia’s problem is that the officials want people to vaccinate, but the population is really not on-board. Same here, but more people opted to take the vaccines and we still have 40% who haven’t taken the jab. But when you consider the percentage of the population that already had COVID and add them to the vaccinated population (allowing for some overlap) we are probably at herd immunity now.
So you have to ask yourself: With the current apparent rise in infection rates, what the heck is going on?
The speed of spread should have covered the US already. This will not go away. Either live with it or stay scared. People need to try to limit comorbidities, don't be fat, don't smoke and improve their health. Winter will bring these numbers up again, that is life.