{"id":270039,"date":"2021-06-09T11:00:02","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T08:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/australias-second-largest-city-to-exit-two-week-virus-lockdown\/"},"modified":"2021-06-09T11:00:02","modified_gmt":"2021-06-09T08:00:02","slug":"australias-second-largest-city-to-exit-two-week-virus-lockdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/australias-second-largest-city-to-exit-two-week-virus-lockdown\/","title":{"rendered":"#Australia’s second-largest city to exit two-week virus lockdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Australia’s second-largest city to exit two-week virus lockdown<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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\"Melbourne\"
\n Credit: Pixabay\/CC0 Public Domain
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Five million Melbourne residents will exit lockdown Thursday after Australian authorities said their adherence to strict rules had “changed the course” of a coronavirus outbreak in the city.\n <\/p>\n

After two weeks under stay-at-home orders, the toughest restrictions in Australia’s second-biggest city will be lifted from 11:59 pm Thursday, after just one new virus case was recorded on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

“This is a good day. Everyone should be absolutely proud of what we have all achieved together,” Victoria state acting Premier James Merlino said Wednesday.<\/p>\n

He said collective efforts had steamed the outbreak in the city, which has seen more than 80 people test positive for either the Kapp<\/a>a or Delta strains that originated in India.<\/p>\n

“But we know this isn’t over yet, and until we have widespread vaccination across Victoria and across our country, the virus will still be with us,” Merlino said.<\/p>\n

Melbourne residents still cannot travel<\/a> more than 25 kilometres (16 miles) from their homes or have visitors over, but may gather in groups of up to 10 outside.<\/p>\n

Schools, cafes and beauty salons can reopen, but gyms and nightclubs must remain closed for at least another week.<\/p>\n

Brett Sutton, Victoria’s chief health officer, said there could not be a “snap back” to no restrictions as the situation remains “reasonably volatile”.<\/p>\n

“We have to move by increments, safely, but with the minimum restrictions that we know will continue to control this,” he said.<\/p>\n

Australia is one of the few countries globally without endemic transmission, recording 30,000 COVID-19 cases and fewer than 1,000 deaths in a population of 25 million.<\/p>\n

The border remains closed to most travellers\u2014with the exception of those from New Zealand\u2014and authorities are quick to impose restrictions when cases are detected.<\/p>\n

The virus is believed to have leaked out of Australia’s makeshift hotel quarantine facilities up to 18 times in six months, prompting tough scrutiny of the system in recent weeks.<\/p>\n

Outbreaks in Taiwan and Japan have also underscored how initial success in containing the virus can quickly erode without widespread vaccination.<\/p>\n

Australia had administered about 5.2 million jabs as of Monday, but only a small fraction of people are fully vaccinated.\n <\/p>\n\n

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Melbourne extends lockdown as ‘Kappa’ variant spreads\n <\/p><\/div>\n

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\n \u00a9 2021 AFP<\/p>\n

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\n Australia’s second-largest city to exit two-week virus lockdown (2021, June 9)
\n retrieved 9 June 2021
\n from https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/news<\/a>\/2021-06-australia-second-largest-city-exit-two-week.html<\/p>\n

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