MELBOURNE (AUSTRALIA) – The state of Victoria in Australia marked an increase in the number of coronavirus cases on Saturday as officials put in place new directives to protect those in retirement homes and prevent a second wave of infections.
The second most populous state in the country recorded 357 new cases overnight. It was 300 on Friday. There were five fatalities as well compared to seven a day earlier.
The country did not witness massive numbers of infections or fatalities compared to other nations. So far, it has recorded 13,950 infections and 145 fatalities. But flare-ups in its two most populous states have raised raised alarms.
Following a cluster of infections in Victoria’s largest city of Melbourne, the authorities imposed a six-week partial lockdown and made masks mandatory for the public, failing which they have to pay a fine of A$200 ($143).
“This is an incredibly stubborn second wave,” state premier Daniel Andrews said.
He said the state has put curbs on the number of visitors at nursing homes and made protective gear mandatory for staff. There will also be a programme of asymptomatic testing, he said.
“We’ve always known that aged care is a very challenging setting. If you get community transmission and then you have chains of transmission that are driven by staff, then you will see outbreaks,” Andrews said.
“That’s exactly the challenge we are facing at the moment.”
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field