COVID-19 cases rise in Australia; lockdown in worst-hit Victoria state

Amidst rising number of coronavirus cases in Australia, authorities in Melbourne and some regional parts of hardest-hit Victoria state on Thursday entered into its first day of second lockdown, imposing restrictions for next six weeks.

Victoria recorded ar 165 new COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours including several hospital and d care workers, on first day of its second lockdown.

Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Western Australia and Australian Capital Territory (ACT) remained closed temporarily along with Victoria to arrest spre of COVID-19.

Urging residents t to become complacent, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that about 25,000 tests are being done every day in Victoria, and particularly in Melbourne. That is an industrial scale of testing, which is an essential part of dealing with outbreak in Victoria .

Morrison will hold a Cabinet meeting on Friday to discuss latest coronavirus surge in Victoria and look at risk to or states.

"I would say more broly across country that we must guard against complacency, that we must continue to follow those social distancing protocols all around Australia, even in states or territories where number of cases is effectively zero, prime minister said.

Please do t think that any of states or territories are immune, he warned.

'And if re were to be issues that presented in any of those states and territories, best defence that we have, especially in first instance, is that all citizens, all residents right across country, are continuing to practice appropriate social distancing and or measures.

We've seen ims in many parts of country, where I think we are seeing some of that lapse. And it's important, because we do t want to see situation in Victoria repeated in any or part of country, he said.

Morrison thanked Melbourne residents for ir patience during ongoing health crisis.

In a bid to contain virus from spreing, Victorian government has anunced a regular temprature check for all students who would return to school in next term.

state government will distribute more than 14,000 rmometers to schools in greater Melbourne and Mitchell Shire and in schools that are near lockdown zones.

NSW Premier Glys Berejiklian said that coronavirus restrictions in state will t be tightened at this st after 13 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in last 24 hours.

She said that rate of community transmission was seen low.

Only one new case was recorded in ACT after a man in his 20s contracted virus.

So far, Australia's death toll from COVID-19 stands at 106 with new fatalities reported in 24 hours.

Im Credits: AP