Lockdown extended as Australian city tackles coronavirus cluster

2 June 2021, 08:24

An empty Swanston Street in Melbourne (Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/AP)
Australia. Picture: PA

The lockdown is the fourth for Melbourne, which has five million residents.

A pandemic lockdown in Australia’s second largest city will be extended for a second week due to concerns over a growing cluster of coronavirus infections.

Victoria state acting premier James Merlino confirmed that Melbourne will remain in lockdown for seven more days from Friday, but pandemic restrictions will be eased elsewhere in the state.

Mr Merlino said that “if we let this thing run its course, it will explode”.

Victoria officials said that the state recorded six new locally acquired coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour period, bringing the latest outbreak to 60 active infections.

The lockdown is the fourth for Melbourne, which has five million residents.

By Press Association

Latest World News

See more Latest World News

Sheriff vehicles near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida

Man in court after ‘attempted assassination’ at Donald Trump’s golf club

A pipeline fire with flames shooting high into the air in La Porte, Texas

Households evacuated as pipeline explodes in Houston suburb

Dave Navarro, left, and Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction performing

Jane’s Addiction cancels tour in wake of onstage fracas

A destroyed bridge after recent floods in Jesenik, Czech Republic

Deadly flooding kills at least 16 people in Central Europe

The Titan submersible

‘All good here’ – one of last texts from Titan submersible revealed at hearing

The US Treasury building in Washington

US imposes sanctions on spyware firm behind tool used to spy on dissidents

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian

Iran’s president insists Tehran wants to negotiate over its nuclear programme

Israeli soldiers take up position next to buildings destroyed by the Israeli military in Gaza

Israeli airstrikes ‘kill 16 in Gaza, including four children’

French citizen Laurent Vinatier sits in a cage in a courtroom in Moscow

French citizen on trial for ‘unlawfully collecting Russian military information’

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko

Belarus president pardons 37 political prisoners

Ryan Wesley Routh takes part in a rally in central Kyiv, Ukraine, in April 2022

Trump suspect wrote book urging Iran to assassinate former US president

A hoiho or yellow-eyed penguin

Shy penguin wins New Zealand’s bird election after campaign filled with memes

Thierry Breton

French EU commissioner resigns after attacking leadership of von der Leyen

The body was found near Papagayo beach, in Los Ajaches Natural Park, south of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands

Body of missing Brit found at Lanzarote beauty spot after tourist 'got lost while hiking'

Police officers direct traffic near Trump International Golf Club after the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Florida

Five things to know about the apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump

JD Vance admits he 'created' story about migrants eating pet cats and dogs spread by Trump during TV debate

JD Vance admits he 'created' story about migrants eating pet cats and dogs spread by Trump during TV debate