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EPA
The resurgence of the virus in Australia has focused on Melbourne
The Australian state of Victoria, affected by the virus, reported its worst death toll and increase in cases, raising fears that a six-week shutdown of the state capital Melbourne is not working.
The state confirmed 13 new deaths and 723 new cases on Thursday, a 36% increase in the record of cases set on Monday.
It is now feared that Melbourne’s six-week blockade, which started on July 7, will have to be extended.
The increase meant that Australia overall had its deadliest day in the pandemic.
Officials in Victoria renewed calls for people with symptoms to be tested quickly.
Last week, the Victorian government said sick people who break isolation rules, or who don’t get tested on time, were leading to continued spread despite closure measures.
“If you have symptoms, all you can do is get tested,” said Prime Minister Daniel Andrews.
“You just can’t go to work. Because all you will do is spread the virus.”
The result casts hope that recent lowercase numbers indicated that the state had taken a turn.
Daily increase in cases of Victoria
Under the second order to stay at home in Melbourne, people cannot leave their home except to exercise, buy food, work and care.
Melbourne has also become the first Australian city to make wearing masks public, and this will extend to all of Victoria starting Monday.
- Why did the virus re-emerge in Melbourne?
- Melbourne returns to full closure
Prime Minister Andrews said the latest case numbers reflected retention of the virus in the city’s nursing homes, with one in six cases related to residents and staff.
Older people have accounted for the majority of deaths reported in the past two weeks.
How is the rest of Australia dealing?
Due to a successful suppression of the virus in the first months of the pandemic, Australia maintains much lower numbers than many other countries, with around 16,000 cases and 189 deaths.
However, the Melbourne outbreak, which started in June, has now led to more than 7,000 cases this month alone, representing approximately 95% of the national total in the second wave.
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EPA
More than 1,400 military personnel have been deployed to help fight the virus in nursing homes.
Last month, with a community broadcast low to nonexistent elsewhere, all other states closed their borders to Victoria.
However, the virus spread to Sydney through visits by Melbourne residents.
Authorities are now fighting groups around restaurants and pubs, warning that the city is on the cutting edge.
On Wednesday, Queensland teamed up with the Northern Territory and Western Australia to ban anyone from Sydney from entering due to renewed risk.
More about the Melbourne closure:
- The 3,000 Australians who were under police surveillance at home
- The border city divided by the running of the bulls
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