Australia: Government reintroduces some lockdown restrictions in Melbourne from July 8 /update 35

Authorities reimpose certain COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in Melbourne from July 8; follow government directives
Read all related news alert(s):
Australia: New South Wales reopens border with Victoria from November 22 /update 60
Authorities order six-day lockdown in South Australia November 18
Australia: Authorities to ease COVID-19 restrictions in Western Australia from November 14 /update 58
Australia: Authorities to ease restrictions in Melbourne from October 27 /update 57
Australia: Authorities to ease some COVID-19 restrictions in regional Victoria state from October 27 /update 56
Australia: Authorities ease some entry restrictions from October 21 /update 55
Australia: Authorities ease restrictions in Victoria state October 19 /update 54
Australia: First no-quarantine flight from New Zealand to land in Sydney on October 16 /update 53
Australia: Authorities extend state of emergency in Victoria until November 8 /update 52
Australia: COVID-19 restrictions further eased in Melbourne from September 28 /update 51
Australia: Authorities announce easing of travel restrictions from September 25 /update 50
Australia: Authorities ease restrictions for regional Victoria September 16 /update 49
Australia: Authorities extend states of emergency and disaster in Victoria until October 11 /update 48
Australia: Authorities extend COVID-19 lockdown in Melbourne until September 28 /update 47
Australia: Authorities extend travel ban and cruise ship restrictions until December 17 /update 46
Australia: Victoria state authorities extend state of emergency for 6 months /update 45
Australia: Tasmanian borders to remain closed until December 1 /update 44
Australia: Victoria authorities extend state of emergency through September 13 /update 43
Australia: Queensland authorities announce border closures with NSW and ACT from August 8 /update 42
Australia: Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Northern Territory) closed following protests by indigenous community on August 3 /update 41
Australia: Nonessential businesses in Melbourne to close for six weeks from August 5 due to COVID-19 /update 40
Australia: Authorities in Victoria state declare ‘State of Disaster’ on August 2 /update 39
Australia: South Australia closes border with Victoria July 28 /update 38
Australia: Face masks mandatory in Melbourne from July 22 /update 37
Australia: Government tightens COVID-19 restrictions in several states July 14 /update 36
Australia: Victoria-New South Wales border to close on July 7 /update 34
Australia: Authorities to reimpose COVID-19 lockdown measures in parts of Melbourne (Victoria state) July 4 /update 33
Australia: New South Wales authorities postpone reopening of state borders June 30 /update 32
Australia: Victoria state introduces mandatory COVID-19 testing for returning travelers June 28 /update 31
Australia: Western Australia announces COVID-19 restrictions to end from July 18 /update 30
Australia: Authorities in Victoria state reimpose restrictions and extend state of emergency until July 19 /update 29
Australia: NSW and Victoria announce easing of COVID-19 measures on June 14 /update 28
Australia: Government announces further easing of lockdown measures in some areas June 12 /update 27
Australia: Authorities announce easing of COVID-19 measures from June /update 26
Australia: Victoria state relaxes COVID-19 restrictions from May 12 /update 25
Australia: New South Wales to ease COVID-19 lockdown restrictions from May 15 /update 24
Australia: Quantas Group extends international flight suspension May 5 /update 23
Australia: Northern Territory to lift majority of lockdown restrictions from May 1 /update 22
Australia: COVID-19 restrictions to ease in New South Wales May 1 /update 21
Australia: COVID-19 restrictions eased in Western Australia and Queensland states April 27 and May 2 /update 20
Australia: Government announces lockdown extension April 16 /update 19
Australia: State of emergency extended in Victoria until May 11 /update 18
Australia: Virgin Australia cancels most domestic flights April 9 /update 17
Australia: Further domestic and international travel restrictions due to COVID-19 March 29 /update 16
Australia: Non-essential services suspended and public spaces close March 23 /update 15
Australia: All non-citizens banned from entering the country March 20 /update 14
Australia: Government advises “Do Not Travel” due to COVID-19 March 18 /update 13
Australia: Victoria declares state of emergency due to coronavirus March 16 /update 12
Australia: Government issues more post-entry restrictions for all foreigners March 15 /update 11
Australia: Government limits large gatherings due to COVID-19 March 16 /update 10
Australia: Government includes Italy in entry ban March 11 /update 9
Australia: Entry restrictions expanded to travelers from South Korea March 5 /update 8
Australia: Entry restrictions for travelers to or from Iran due to COVID-19 February 29 /update 7
Australia: Entry restrictions for travelers from China extended due to COVID-19 February 27 /update 6
Australia: Qantas and Jetstar reduce flights across Asia amid fall in demand February 20 /update 5
Australia: Coronavirus (COVID-19) travel ban extended to February 29 /update 4
Australia: Travel restrictions extended due to COVID-19 February 13 /update 3
Australia: Government advises against all travel to China February 1 /update 2
Australia: Qantas suspends flights to China February 1 /update 1
Australia: First cases of 2019-nCoV confirmed January 25
Event
Authorities announced that they will reimpose certain lockdown restrictions in Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire Council as of midnight Wednesday (local time), July 8, due to a rise in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases. Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire Council will return to stage three restrictions for a six-week period. The restrictions mean that restaurants will only be able to provide takeaway services, the limit on public gatherings will be reduced to two people, and households will no longer be able to welcome visitors. Melbourne residents will be allowed to leave their homes to shop for essentials, seek medical attention or provide care for others, to exercise, and to study or work, if these cannot be done at home.
The border between Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) will close from Wednesday, July 8. The decision has been made following a spike in COVID-19 cases in Melbourne, with over 95 percent of Australia's new infections in the past two weeks being in the city. Air travel between Sydney (NSW) and Melbourne is normally one of the world's busiest routes. The land border closure will be enforced on the NSW side so as not to strain resources in Victoria needed for fighting the outbreak. A permit system will be in place for those who need to cross the border for unavoidable travel and special arrangements are due to be announced for those living in border towns. This will be the first border closure between the two states since the 1919 Spanish flu pandemic.
Victoria state authorities announced that lockdown measures were to be reintroduced in parts of Melbourne on Saturday, July 4. Authorities announced that the postcodes of 3031 and 3051 would be affected, corresponding to the areas of Flemington, Kensington, and North Melbourne. Under these restrictions, residents may only leave their homes for food, medical care, exercise, work, or education. Authorities are also placing nine public housing towers under a "hard lockdown" which confines residents to their apartments. On Wednesday, July 1, authorities introduced lockdowns in the postcodes of 3012, 3021, 3032, 3038, 3042, 3046, 3047, 3055, 3060, and 3064. These latter restrictions will remain in place until July 29.
On Sunday, June 28, Victoria state authorities made testing COVID-19 compulsory for returning travelers following a spike in infections in recent days in the region. Authorities have informed that those who refuse to be tested will have to quarantine for an extra ten days in addition to the 14-day minimum quarantine period.
All Australian citizens and residents returning from abroad are being quarantined in hotels for 14 days at the government's expense. Only Australian citizens, returning permanent residents, and their immediate family members are permitted to enter Australia until further notice.
On June 21, authorities in Victoria state extended the current state of emergency for four weeks until July 19. The previous day it was announced that restrictions limiting the number of visitors to households to five people and outdoor gatherings to ten people would be reimposed as of June 22. Measures had previously been relaxed on June 1 to allow 20 people to gather both in households and outside.
As of July 7, there have been 8755 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, with 106 associated fatalities. Further international spread of the virus is expected in the near term.
Context
The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Human-to-human and patient-to-medical staff transmission of the virus have been confirmed. Many of the associated fatalities have been due to pneumonia caused by the virus.
Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic.
Pneumonia symptoms include dry cough, chest pain, fever, and trouble breathing. Pneumonia can be contagious and can be transmitted from human to human. The influenza virus, or the flu, is a common cause of viral pneumonia.
Advice
Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly, and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.
To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:
- Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
- When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
- If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the virus.
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