Australia's Victoria state declares virus a disaster

The premier of Australia's hard-hit Victoria state has declared a disaster among sweeping new coronavirus restrictions across Melbourne and elsewhere from Sunday night.

An evening curfew will be implemented across Melbourne from 8 pm to 5 am.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the state of disaster proclamation gave police greater power.

"First of all from 6 pm tonight, I'm declaring a state of disaster across Victoria. This will be in addition to the state of emergency that has operated throughout. This means that police and others have additional powers," Andrews said during a press conference in Melbourne on Sunday.

Andrews said 671 new coronavirus cases had been detected since Saturday, including seven deaths. It comes among a steadily increasing toll in both deaths and infections over the past six weeks in Victoria.

"I'm very sad to have to report that the total death toll now, as a result of this global pandemic, has risen to 123. That is seven more fatalities since our last update," Andrews said.

Melbourne residents will only be allowed to shop and exercise within five kilometers (three miles) of their homes. All students across the state will return to home-based learning and child care centres will be closed.

"From midnight next Wednesday, regional Victoria will move to stage three restrictions. That's stay at home except for the four reasons to leave. That will mean that restaurants, cafes, bars, gyms, a whole range of other settings, we're well and truly acquainted with those, will need to close," Andrews added.

The deaths in Victoria took the national toll to 208.

Andrews also said that there would be more announcements about workplaces on Monday, including the closure of certain industries, but ensuring that businesses like supermarkets, butchers, bakers, groceries and other similar settings would not be impacted.

Also on Sunday, New South Wales confirmed its first coronavirus-related death in more than a month as authorities sought to suppress a number of growing clusters at a hotel and several restaurants in Sydney.