This archive report was first published on 24 June 2020.
On June 24, 2020, Australia's Victoria state reported its first COVID-19 death in over a month, with 20 new cases, sparking concerns of a second wave of infections.
Victoria Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said, "When we get additional cases, there will be a risk of people dying or be at risk of further cases being hospitalised and going to intensive care. That's why we need to get on top of numbers."
Authorities in Victoria have been trying to contain the spread of the virus in half a dozen suburbs in the largest city of Melbourne, which has become the virus hotspot in Australia.
The surge in new cases has been caused by family get-togethers attended by people with mild symptoms, according to authorities.
Victoria has asked for assistance from the country's military to enforce a 14-day quarantine requirement imposed on all Australians and permanent residents returning from overseas.
Thousands of people have sought COVID-19 tests, with wait times of up to four hours reported at testing facilities. Supermarkets in Victoria have also imposed new restrictions, with Australia's biggest supermarket chain, Woolworths Group, limiting shoppers to two items of products including toilet paper, hand sanitiser, flour, sugar, pasta, long-life milk, eggs, and rice.
