Australia extends Melbourne lockdown despite drop in cases

MELBOURNE AFP Sept6, 2020 - Australian officials on Sunday extended a strict virus lockdown of the country’s second-biggest city by two weeks, saying new cases had not dropped enough to prevent another spike.   

Melbourne residents were due to exit a harsh six-week lockdown next weekend but face continued restrictions for months to come, with Victoria state premier Daniel Andrews saying the current lockdown would remain in place until September 28.    “If we open up too fast then we have a very high likelihood that we are not really opening up at all -- we are just beginning a third wave,” he told a press conference.   

Hopes of a return to normality this month have been dashed, with an overnight curfew, restrictions on visitors to homes and a limit on travelling more than five kilometres (about three miles) set to remain in place until at least October 26.