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MELBOURNE: Australia took a step closer to normal life on Sunday (November 22), opening some internal borders and easing restrictions in regions affected by COVID-19, as the vast majority of the country has seen no new infections or deaths in the community for weeks.
South Australia, which became the country’s infection epicenter last week, reported no new cases in the community and lifted a drastic lockdown earlier than planned, with the state’s prime minister saying swift action had prevented the disaster.
The number of active cases in the state stood at 37 after an outbreak related to a traveler returning from Britain forced 4,500 people to self-quarantine.
“We have avoided a catastrophic situation in our state by following unequivocal health advice,” Prime Minister Steven Marshall said at a news conference.
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Neighboring Victoria, which for months battled the pandemic and where 90 percent of the 907 coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded in Australia, relaxed its mask rules on Sunday, saying they are not required to go abroad and allowed larger public gatherings.
The state, home to about 6.4 million people, has had no new infections for 23 days, a victory that came after a 111-day shutdown that kept people at home and most businesses closed.
New South Wales, the most populous state with a quarter of Australia’s 24 million people, reported no new community cases on Sunday for the 15th day in a row. The state will open its border with Victoria on Monday.
Twelve new cases were reported in Australia among travelers in hotel quarantine. The country, which closed its external borders early, limits international arrivals and requires a two-week hotel quarantine for arriving travelers.
With just over 27,800 cases, Australia has done better than most other developed nations in the fight against COVID-19, thanks to its aggressive response. As of Sunday, there were an estimated 88 active cases across the country.
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