Photo: Getty ImagesAustralia's second most populous state, Victoria, has extended its state of emergency for four more weeks to July 19, as it battles a spike in coronavirus infections with a pick-up in community transmission. The move came a day after the state said it would reimpose restrictions capping visitors to households to five people and outdoor gatherings to 10, starting Monday. The state has now had 1,836 total confirmed cases, a quarter of the cases in Australia, since the Covid-19 pandemic erupted. The surge in Victoria has alarmed other states, which have had few, if any, new cases for several weeks. Despite Victoria's surge, health officials see no need to require face masks.

Source: Otago Daily Times June 21, 2020 23:26 UTC