This archive report was first published on 8 July 2020.
COVID-19 Surge Hits Melbourne ¶
On July 8, 2020, Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, was ordered into a six-week lockdown in response to a surge in COVID-19 cases. The lockdown, which began at midnight, affects over five million residents and is expected to cost the economy up to Aus$1 billion ($700 million) a week.
Queues of cars were backed up at Victoria's border after neighboring New South Wales closed the boundary, essentially sealing off the state from the rest of Australia. The decision left residents of border towns scrambling to obtain permits to cross for work or other essential reasons, while school holiday travelers were rushing to return home.
Health authorities have linked many of the Melbourne coronavirus cases to hotels where residents returning from overseas were being quarantined. Local media reported security guards had breached infection control regulations, prompting the government to replace the private contractors with prison staff and launch an inquiry.
Experts warn that people everywhere will have to get used to the 'new normal' of on-and-off restrictions as new clusters emerge and subside. Professor Michael Kyrios, a clinical psychologist at Flinders University, warned that Victoria needed to brace for a 'coming mental health crisis' as a result of the lockdown.
Australia has recorded almost 9,000 cases of coronavirus and 106 deaths. The country is now considering limiting the number of citizens returning from abroad, after Victoria began diverting international flights to other cities to ease the burden on its quarantine facilities.
Thousands of health workers are knocking on doors in the worst-affected areas of Melbourne urging residents to get tested for coronavirus, with officials saying about 10,000 people have refused after being influenced by online disinformation.
