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Melbourne Faces New COVID-19 Lockdown As Infections Surge In Australia's
Second Biggest City

Phil Mercer

   SYDNEY - Parts of Australia's second biggest city, Melbourne, are to go
   back into COVID-19 lockdown Wednesday following a surge in cases.
   Authorities have said 36 suburbs have had an "unacceptably high" number
   of new infections detected in the past few days.

   Australia has had 7,834 confirmed coronavirus cases. 104 people have
   died.

   With73 infections, Victoria has accounted for almostall ofthe national
   tally of new COVID-19 cases in the past 24-hours.

   Failures in the hotel quarantineprogramare being
   blamed.Travelersreturning to Australia from overseas face a mandatory
   14-days in isolation.

   The state government has said that breaches in security have been
   linked to the spread of the disease in parts of Melbourne. Health
   officials have said the surge in infections was 'heart breaking.'

   More than 300,000 people will facelegally-enforceablerestrictions on
   their movement as dozens of suburbs are once again placed into
   lockdown.

   The Victoria premier Daniel Andrews is warning that the pandemic "will
   not be over for a long time" and says strict lockdown measures are
   needed.

   "The chief health officer has advised me to reimpose restrictions, so
   they will be stay at home orders and they will run for four weeks.
   There will only be four reasons that you are permitted to leave your
   house and only if you really have to; for work or school, for care or
   care-giving, for daily exercise, for food and other essentials,"
   Andrews said.

   Fines of about $1,000 could be imposed if residents leave their homes
   without good reason. They are also banned from traveling
   toneighboringNew South Wales. Anyone from a virus hotspot in Melbourne
   who tries to cross the border in defiance of public health orders could
   face a fine of almostUS $7,500or up to six months' in prison.

   Disease control measures in New South Wales are being eased. Museums,
   libraries and some cinemas can now reopen, while more passengers are
   allowed on public transport. Queensland is also planning to reopen its
   borders to other Australian jurisdictions in 10 days' time,
   althoughtravellersfrom Victoria will face restrictions.