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Pressure is mounting on state authorities to allow the city more freedom, with a litany of rules still in place despite declining cases.
A woman queues in front of a COVID-19 coronavirus testing site at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Melbourne on July 16, 2020. Image: AFP
MELBOURNE – Australian health officials reported Monday that there were no new coronavirus cases or deaths in the state of Victoria, which has spent months under onerous restrictions after becoming the epicenter of the country’s second wave.
It was the first 24-hour period with no new COVID-19 cases reported in the state since Melbourne’s five million residents were locked up after security bugs at quarantined hotels hosting international returnees sparked an outbreak. important in July.
Under the lockdown, people in the city, Australia’s second-largest, have been banned from leaving their homes for non-essential reasons and have spent months under a night curfew.
Some restrictions were lifted last week, allowing haircuts and golf games to return, but additional easing planned for Sunday was delayed to evaluate thousands of test results after a small outbreak in the north of the city. city.
Pressure is mounting on state authorities to allow the city more freedoms, with a litany of rules still in place despite the decline in the number of cases.
Masks are mandatory, restaurants are limited to takeout and deliveries, non-essential stores must remain closed, and there is a travel ban outside of the Melbourne metropolitan area or more than 25 kilometers from home.
The city’s second round of stay-at-home restrictions began in July, when the state of Victoria saw about 190 new cases a day, and increased to 700 in August.
The rest of the state of Victoria already enjoys fewer restrictions, with gyms reopening and live outdoor music resuming starting Tuesday.
Australia has been relatively successful in containing the spread of the coronavirus, with around 27,500 cases and 905 deaths in a population of 25 million.
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