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Protesters in Melbourne defied a coronavirus lockdown for the second weekend in a row, prompting 14 arrests and 51 violation notices for non-compliance with public health orders as new infections at the Australian hotspot continued to fall.
About 100 people protested at various locations in Melbourne, Victoria police said, after about 200 people gathered the weekend before.
“Despite all the warnings, it was disappointing to see people demonstrate in the city today, putting the lives of Victorians at risk,” police said in an emailed statement.
New cases of coronavirus infections in Victoria, the second most populous state in the country, continued to fall from a peak of more than 700 in a single day in early August.
It reported 37 new cases today, its lowest level since late June.
It also reported six new coronaviru-related deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing its total to 716, or more than 90% of the 803 deaths in Australia.
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The state, home to a quarter of Australia’s 25 million people, now accounts for around 75% of the country’s more than 26,500 Covid-19 cases.
Its capital Melbourne has been under strict lockdown for weeks.
The lockdown, which was initially to end tomorrow, has been extended for another two weeks.
“You can only keep the numbers low if you first bring them down to very low levels,” Victoria’s Prime Minister Daniel Andrews said at a televised press conference.
“That is exactly what is happening and that is good news. It is a challenge out there and I know it is difficult, but the strategy is working.”
Neighboring New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, reported six new cases. Three cases were reported in Queensland, but the virus was effectively cleared in other states and territories.
Australia has fared better than many other countries in managing the health crisis and subsequent economic recession, thanks to swift action and substantial government financial support.
Spanish princess in quarantine after a classmate was diagnosed with Covid-19
Princess Leonor, the heir to the Spanish throne, went into quarantine after a classmate from her school tested positive for Covid-19, the royal family said.
The 14-year-old daughter of King Felipe will be tested for coronavirus like other students in her class at the Santa María de los Rosales school in Madrid.
King and Queen Letizia will continue their royal duties for the time being, a spokesman for the royal house said, as Spain struggles to control an increase in coronavirus cases.
Eight million Spanish children returned to school last week, but some closed or classes were sent home after students tested positive for Covid-19, while Galician authorities delayed the start of the course by a week for students from 14 to 18 years old.
Spain reported 4,708 new coronavirus infections yesterday, bringing its cumulative total to 566,326, the highest in Western Europe, as its total number of deaths from Covid-19 rose to 29,747
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