The premier of the Australian state of Victoria has declared a “state of disaster,” introducing a nighttime curfew in the city of Melbourne. Catch up with the latest about the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Victoria state premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday said an overnight curfew would be implemented across Melbourne — Australia’s second-biggest city — from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. after declaring a state of disaster.
Andrews said 671 new coronavirus cases had been detected since Saturday, including seven deaths. The state has seen a steadily increasing toll in both deaths and infections over the past six weeks.
The premier said there would be further announcements on Monday that would likely include the closure of some industrial sectors. The new lockdown measures will last for six weeks.
“These are big steps but they are necessary. We have got to limit the amount of movement and limiting the amount of transmission of this virus,” Andrews said.
Residents of the state capital Melbourne will only be allowed to shop and exercise within 5 kilometers (3 miles) of their homes. Students across the state will return to learning at home.
Here’s a roundup of the other major stories regarding coronavirus around the world:
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India’s Interior Minister Amit Shah, 55, who heads the ministry that is mainly responsible for managing the epidemic in the country, has tested positive for COVID-19 and been admitted to hospital. He is the most senior politician in India to have contracted the disease.
Meanwhile, renowned veteran Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, who was taken to hospital on July 11 with his son Abhishek after testing positive for the disease, has been discharged from hospital in Mumbai. In a tweet, he thanked staff at Nanavati Hospital for his recovery.
Bedros says
Sad.
And yet Trump is not the president of Australia.
Who knew?