A state in Australia has banned dog walking, funerals and outdoor exercise in strict lockdowns to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.
South Australia Australia announced a six-day lockdown on Wednesday, keeping people mostly confined to their homes – except for one family member per household per day, for reasons such as grocery shopping, Australian Australian outlet ABC News reported.
“We need this circuit breaker,” South Australian Premier Steven Marshall told reporters.
“We are going hard and we are going early. Time is of the essence and we must act quickly and decisively. “
The new restrictions will close schools, universities, cafes and restaurants in addition to preventing weddings and funerals, the outlet said.
Sharon Muscat, the funeral director in the state capital de Dilade, said they were planning to build a memorial with a bereaved family when they learned of the shutdown.
“Once they were shocked they set up. They got quite angry – there was some resentment towards the government,” she told the outlet.
Under the guidelines, dog-walking and outdoor exercise are also banned, the outlet reports.
“If people weren’t able to get their dogs out for daily exercise, we would be worried,” said Caroline Jones, a spokeswoman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
“It’s clearly good for the dog and good for the owner,” she added.
There was no known community coronavirus transmission in South Australia from mid-April until the emergence of the recent cluster. The state now has 36 active COVID-19 cases reported to have involved people who have returned from the UK and spread the virus to a hotel employee there.
With post wire
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