Australian shares witnessed sharp sell-off by afternoon as concerns about the COVID-19 situation in the country as well as weak global cues weighed on market sentiment. The country's most populous state of New South Wales (NSW) faces lockdown extension after it reported 44 new locally acquired cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours. This is the biggest surge in new cases reported in the state in the last 14 months. In a bid to contain the spread of the virus, the state government has further tightened curbs, describing the current situation as the most challenging since the pandemic began. Australian-based minerals company Charger Metals has made strong debut on the ASX today, in an otherwise weak broader market. The battery minerals and precious metals project owner surged 17.5% to 23.5 cents. The company has raised AU$6 million by issuing 30 million shares at 20 cents each.
