SYDNEY, Jul 17 (Reuters) – The Australian state of Victoria reported a record daily increase in COVID-19 cases on Friday, while neighboring New South Wales said it was banning dancing, singing and mixing at weddings while Authorities are fighting to contain a new wave of infections.
Victoria, who has forced nearly 5 million people in the country’s second most populous state to a partial shutdown for more than a week, said she has found 428 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
Such is the size of the Victoria outbreak, Australia recorded its largest one-day increase in new COVID-19 infections since late March, even with several states yet to report.
The findings fueled expectations that Victoria will be forced to implement stricter restrictions on its residents, which in turn will harm Australia’s national economy.
“We are in the fight of our lives,” Victoria State Health Minister Jenny Mikakos told reporters in Melbourne.
Australia has recorded just over 11,000 cases of COVID-19.
The death toll rose to 116 after the deaths of three people in Victoria on Friday, still well below that of many other countries.
NO DANCE, NO MIX
However, the increase in COVID-19 cases in Victoria has raised the concern of a second national wave, causing the closure of internal borders and renewed restrictions on social distancing in neighboring states.
New South Wales (NSW), Australia’s most populous state, said it has found eight cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, mainly from community broadcasts believed to be from Victoria.
In a bid to curb the spread, New South Wales Prime Minister Gladys Berejiklian said new restrictions will be imposed starting next week.
Funerals and places of worship will be allowed no more than 100 people. Venues must also ensure they have 4 square meters of space per customer.
State weddings will be limited to 150 people, Berejiklian said, and must remain seated.
“Don’t dance, don’t sing, don’t mix,” Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.
“DISASTERS MADE BY DAN”
Less than a month ago, Australia was widely recognized as a world leader in the fight against COVID-19.
But security flaws in Victoria led people who returned from abroad to spread the virus, prompting an investigation into how the state went from being on the verge of eradicating the virus to an increasing number of infections.
Victoria’s state prime minister Daniel Andrews is under increasing pressure, and one of Australia’s best-selling tabloids appears on the front page with the headline, “Dan’s mess.”
The increase in COVID-19 cases removes any hope of a rapid economic rebound in Australia.
Damaged by national restrictions on social distancing imposed in March, Australia is on its way to its first recession in nearly three decades, while unemployment peaked at 22 years, data showed on Thursday.
Australia’s hopes of starting a “travel bubble” with neighboring New Zealand also appear to be delayed. Australia and New Zealand hoped to open their borders in September.
Colin Packham’s report; Edition by Lincoln Feast.
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