Melbourne goes back into lockdown after surge in Covid-19 cases
7 July 2020, 07:56
Australia's second-biggest city is being placed back into lockdown after a surge in coronavirus cases.
The city has imposed a "hard boundary" around the whole of Melbourne's metropolitan area.
People will have to stay at home from tomorrow for six weeks.
Premier of the Australian state of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, said he had no option but to re-impose 'stage 3 stay at home restrictions'.
He said: “We have to be realistic about the circumstances we confront.
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"We have to be clear with each other that this is not over. And pretending that it is over is not the answer. There is simply no alternative.
"Ultimately we have to take this as seriously as we take bushfire. This is binary. It is life and death.
"If it gets away from us - and I don’t want to hear any more of this stuff from younger people or healthy people regardless of their age, that it won’t affect me. Well, it it will affect you.
"There are people across the world who have died who are otherwise health not one or two. Significant numbers.
"All of us are part of families. Loved ones being gravely ill and potentially dying, that will affect you too.
"And the restrictions will affect you of course. It’s not about singling out one group.
"I think there’s been complacency and a sense of frustration and I get that and I’m not really criticising it. I understand it. It has to change."
One other regional area also in Victoria was also placed under the new restriction.
The announcement comes just hours before the border was closed with neighbouring New South Wales to try to prevent the spread of the disease.
191 new cases were confirmed in Victoria yesterday.
