COVID-19: Australia’s Melbourne to extend sixth lockdown

Australian authorities say they will extend a lockdown of the second biggest city, Melbourne in the country, as they struggle to quell COVID-19 outbreak driven by the highly infectious Delta variant.

According to Victoria Premier, Dan Andrews, the announcement on Sunday came as the number of COVID-19 infections in Victoria state, of which Melbourne is the capital, rose by 92 overnight, the highest number in nearly a year.

“Melbourne’s lockdown, its sixth since the start of the pandemic, was due to end on Thursday, but this would no longer be possible.

“We still have too many cases in the community for too long for us to be able to open up and give back those freedoms that we cherish and those freedoms that we desperately want back,” Andrews said.

Melbourne’s lockdown is currently in its fourth week and includes a curfew, the closure of playgrounds and strict limits on exercise.

Andrews did not say how long stay-at-home orders would remain in place, adding that officials would look at all the different options.

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Kamila/Al-Jazeera