Australia has been forced to effectively seal off Victoria state after a spike in cases in Melbourne.
SYDNEY: Australia’s second-most populated state Victoria is considering a four-week lockdown after recording the biggest one-day surge in new COVID-19 cases, The Australian newspaper reported on Tuesday (Jul 7).
The number of COVID-19 cases in the Victorian capital of Melbourne has surged in recent days, prompting authorities to enforce strict social-distancing orders in more than 30 suburbs and put nine public housing towers into complete lockdown.
State Premier Daniel Andrews is considering a four-week lockdown after the number of new cases hit 191, The Australian reported. Victoria has not published an official tally yet.
On Monday, Australia announced it was sealing off Victoria from the rest of the country to tackle the spike in cases.
The border between Australia’s two most populous states – Victoria and New South Wales – will be closed from 11.59pm local time on Tuesday, officials from both states said.
Victorian Premier Andrews described the decision to close off the state as “the smart call, the right call at this time, given the significant challenges we face in containing this virus”.
Plans to reopen Victoria’s border with South Australia have already been put on ice.
