Australia’s Victoria state enters seven day lockdown as Covid-19 cases rise

The state recorded 11 new cases of the coronavirus overnight, taking the total to 26 after a nearly three month run of zero cases.

CAPE TOWN, May 27 (ANA) – Nearly seven million residents in Australia’s state of Victoria headed into a seven-day snap lockdown announced by the government with effect from midnight on Thursday in response to a fresh Covid-19 outbreak.

According to broadcaster ABC, the state recorded 11 new cases of the coronavirus overnight, taking the total to 26 after a nearly three-month run of zero cases.

One of the cases is an elderly person who is now in intensive care and on a ventilator, Health Minister Martin Foley said.

“My understanding is that just in recent days we’ve passed over 50 percent of over-70-year-olds being vaccinated (against the virus). Sadly this was not one of those 50 percent,” he said.

The BBC reported that officials had identified 150 sites where people could have been exposed to what is said to be the highly contagious B.1.617 variant of the Covid-19 virus.

Acting Premier James Merlino said a returned traveller was infected with the strain which was spreading faster than previously recorded. He said cases had been linked to large venues such as packed football stadiums.

“With 10,000 primary and secondary contacts of cases, with more than 150 exposure sites right around the state of Victoria, we need to act now,” said Merlino.

“If we wait too long, this thing will get away from us.”

Meanwhile, New Zealand suspended its quarantine-free travel bubble with Australia on Tuesday due to the cluster outbreak. An initial 72 hour lockdown by Victoria prompted the neighbouring country to pause the travel bubble.

Victoria was the hardest hit state during Australia’s second wave of Covid-19 last year and accounted for around 70 percent of total cases and 90 percent of deaths.

– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa