Published 15:22 IST, July 19th 2020
Australia: Melbourne mandates face masks as coronavirus cases surge
Australian authorities are setting up their battle against coronavirus as the second biggest city of Melbourne has announced mandatory face coverings from July
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Australian authorities are setting up their battle against coronavirus as the second biggest city of Melbourne has announced mandatory face coverings from July 22. The decision came when the global death toll from Covid-19 passed 600,000, following another daily record increase in cases. The premier of the Australian state of Victoria said people in Melbourne, and the adjacent district of Mitchell to its north, would have to wear a mask from 11.59pm on July 22. Masks have been made compulsory in the country, with a threat of A$200 fine for non compliance.
Current situation in Australia
Reports suggest Daniel Andrews, the Premier, announced another 363 new cases of Covid-19 as he introduced face coverings requirements on July 17. There have been triple-figure rises in new daily cases in and around the city. Andrews reportedly said people will have to wear masks in Victoria and potentially in other parts of the country for a very long time. He added, There is no cure to this wildly infectious virus. Masks are a simple thing, but its all about changung habit, its about becoming a simple part of your routine.
According to reports, Australia has a population of 25 million. It was being considered as one of the success stories of the pandemic until these case clusters were found in Melbourne. This came after a number of parts of the country had reported very low or no community transmission for a good amount of time.
The adjacent states of New South Wales have seen new cases in low double digits in the past weeks. Cases are growing there after very little community transmission. Reports suggest that 18 new cases were reported on July 19, which is the highest since April 19. Residents have been instructed to avoid non essential travels and gathering of more than 10 people.
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15:22 IST, July 19th 2020