Australia to lock down over 300k people in Melbourne's suburbs to curb COVID-19 spread

Australia will lockdown more than 3,00,000 residents in suburbs north of Melbourne as part of its efforts to slow down the coronavirus spread that has continuously seen a double-digit rise in the past two weeks. The lockdown will reportedly start from late on July 1 and will last for more than a month. Australia has so far managed to keep its coronavirus curve in line compared to some of its western peers as it has reported just over 7,900 infections and 104 deaths to date. 

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The latest lockdown in Australia's Melbourne city will affect more than 30 suburbs, which will witness stage three restrictions, the third-strictest level of curbs to block the spread of the disease. Coronavirus testings will also be done in huge numbers to take advantage of the lockdown with the aim of covering more than half of the population residing in the areas. The latest restrictions come as other parts of the state are seeing a gradual reopening spree, with restaurants, gyms, and cinemas allowed to resume operations. 

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COVID-19 situation

The coronavirus outbreak has infected over 10 million people globally and has killed nearly 5,11,000 patients since it first broke out in December 2019. The virus is believed to have originated from a seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the initial epicentre of the disease, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally. Currently, the United States, Brazil, Russia, India, and the United Kingdom are the most affected countries in the world with a combined death toll of over 2,20,000, nearly half of what the world has logged in.

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(Image Credit: AP)