Australia's Victoria state put under lockdown amid virus surge
Police officers wearing face masks patrol in front of the Harbour Bridge in Sydney
Australia's Victoria state ordereda snap lockdown in a bid to combat the virus with restrictions to take place from Fridayto Tuesday.
The restrictions include stay-at-home orders with people allowed to leave their houses only for care giving, essential work and medical reasons.
Premier Daniel Andrews said contact tracing was being increased while adding that he would be aiming to lift the lockdown next Tuesday. It is the third lockdown for the state this year and the fifth since the pandemic took hold in the country last year.
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"This will be a hard lockdown, similar to what we did a couple of weeks ago," Andrews said while announcing the new rule.
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People in the state would be allowed to travel in a five-kilometre radius for shopping and other essential work.
Andrews added that there is just one chance to "go hard and go fast" at the virus in order to combat it, adding: "if you doubt, then you will always be looking back wishing you had done more earlier."
Sydney is already in a state of lockdown for the past one month with restrictions set to continue for two more weeks as 65 new coronavirus cases were detected and Queensland recorded three more COVID-19 cases.
At least 28 cases of community transmission was detected in the 24 hours in Sydney with testing increased exponentially reaching 58,000 during the day as authorities urged those over 60 to get the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Authorities in New South Wales said 19 people were in the ICU comprising of people in their 20s and 30s among other age groups.
Melbourne has been the epicentre of the virus in Australia with several areas listed for virus exposure including sports stadiums and shopping centres. The city recorded 18 new COVID-19 cases worrying health officials.
The current lockdown measures come as Australia's vaccination drive continues at a slow pace with just 12 per cent people inoculated amid a shortage of jabs in the country.
Australia has recorded 31,400 cases and 912 deaths so far.
(With inputs from Agencies)