For months, my friends kept stating, 'how lucky we are in Australia', now this....
Australian state records daily virus record, warns of lockdown extension
Australian state records daily virus record, warns of lockdown extension
By Byron Kaye and Renju Jose
35 mins ago
...
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's Victoria state on Monday reported the country's highest daily increase in coronavirus infections, prompting the authorities to warn a six-week lockdown may last longer if people continue to go to work while feeling unwell.
The second-most populous state reported 532 new cases of the virus which causes COVID-19, the most new cases in a day since the pandemic arrived in Australia, and six more deaths, taking the state toll to 77, almost half the national death toll.
Five of the latest deaths were people in aged care facilities, the authorities said.
Until recently Australia had avoided the high COVID-19 casualty rates of other countries, but a wave of community transmission in Victoria has prompted a lockdown in Melbourne, the only Australian city to make it mandatory to wear a facemask in public.
"If you've got a sniffle, a scratchy throat, a headache, fever, then you can't go to work," said Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews in a televised news conference.
"This is what is driving these numbers up, and the lockdown will not end until people stop going to work with symptoms and instead go and get tested because they have symptoms."
Melbourne, home to a fifth of Australia's 25 million population, is halfway though a six-week ban on movement other than for work, buying food, giving or receiving healthcare, or daily exercise. Andrews added that he may announce additional measures later this week.