Melbourne in Australia, along with all different regions of Victoria state, will go into a lockdown for 7 days because the number of coronavirus cases doubles. Genome sequencing has confirmed the Covid-19 cases are from the variant that was first detected in India.
Melbourne, the Australian city that’s already endured one of the world’s longest and most arduous lockdowns, is heading again into enforced isolation due to another Covid-19 outbreak.
The city of 5 million individuals, together with all different areas of Victoria state, will go into lockdown from midnight for seven days, the state’s Acting Premier James Merlino informed reporters in Melbourne on Thursday. The number of cases inside the community spread had doubled in the past day to 26, he stated.
“Our public health experts’ primary concern is how fast this variant is moving,” Merlino stated, describing the strain of the virus as highly infectious. “We’ve seen overseas how difficult that movement can be to control.”
Genome sequencing has confirmed the cases are from the variant that was first detected in India and are linked to a leak from a hotel used for quarantine in South Australia state earlier this month. Since then, the virus has spread to neighboring Victoria state, with infected individuals visiting dozens of venues including football stadiums, a university, and a regional city.
Some states have already closed their borders to Melbourne residents, which is expected to place further pressure on the tourism and travel industries.
The cluster comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government is under growing pressure to speed up the pace of the vaccine rollout, with about 3.7 million individuals within the nation of 26 million so far receiving their first jab.
Restrictions placed on individuals in Victoria, which is the nation’s second-most populous state, include staying within 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) of their homes for shopping and exercise, mandatory mask-wearing in public, and no visitors in homes apart from intimate partners.
Restaurants, pubs, and cafes will be able to provide only takeaway goods; otherwise, retail businesses, entertainment, and gyms will be closed. Professional sporting events will proceed without crowds.