Photo: Getty ImagesAustralia's coronavirus hot spot state of Victoria on Sunday extended a hard lockdown in its capital Melbourne by two weeks to the end of September as infection rates have declined more slowly than hoped. Victoria, Australia's second most populous state, has been the epicentre of a second wave of the novel coronavirus, now accounting for about 75% of the country's 26,282 cases and 90% of its 753 deaths. By contrast, Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, has had no more than 13 cases a day since early August. "You've got to defeat the second wave and do it properly. Restrictions in regional Victoria will ease from Sept. 13.

Source: Otago Daily Times September 06, 2020 04:07 UTC