Australia tightens restrictions as COVID-19 cases top 10,000 | CBC News

Australian states on Tuesday tightened restrictions on motion as authorities wrestle to include a recent outbreak of COVID-19 within the nation’s southeast that has pushed the nationwide tally of instances past 10,000.

With rising fears of a second coronavirus wave nationally, two states prolonged border restrictions and Australia’s most populous state imposed limits on the variety of folks allowed in massive pubs.

The modifications come as scores of recent instances have been uncovered in Victoria, the nation’s COVID-19 hotspot, regardless of a return to lockdown final week for practically 5 million folks in state capital Melbourne.

“Haven’t turned the corner”

Active instances within the state rose to just about 2,000 after one other 270 infections have been detected up to now 24 hours, authorities stated, taking Australia’s whole variety of instances to about 10,000.

Australia’s demise toll hit 110 on Tuesday after two folks of their 80s died from the virus in Victoria.

“We haven’t turned the corner yet. I hope to see that this week, but there are no guarantees,” Brett Sutton, Victoria’s Chief Medical Officer instructed reporters in Melbourne.

Australia prevented the excessive COVID-19 casualty numbers of different nations with swift and strict measures, however a spike in community-transmitted instances in Victoria and an increase in new instances in New South Wales has anxious different states.

South Australia cancelled plans to reopen its border to New South Wales on July 20, whereas Queensland launched a compulsory two-week quarantine for individuals who have visited two areas in Sydney’s western suburbs.

“Our primary responsibility in South Australia is to the health, safety and welfare of all South Australians,” Premier Steven Marshall instructed reporters in Adelaide.

Australia’s Northern Territory stated it’s going to determine on Wednesday whether or not to permit anybody from New South Wales to enter when its home borders reopen later this week.

New South Wales, which has seen a number of dozen instances linked to the outbreak in Victoria, stated pubs will now be restricted to not more than 300 folks, responding to an outbreak centred at a big lodge in southwestern Sydney.

Authorities consider 600 folks visited the Crossroads Hotel on July 3, when the outbreak is believed to have begun.

“Indoor activity, where people aren’t seated is a huge health risk. It increases the chance of transmission,” state Premier Gladys Berejiklian instructed reporters.