Australia's Victoria imposes curfew, state of disaster to contain COVID-19

02 August 2020 - 11:38
By Lidia Kelly
Victoria Police and ADF personnel work at a vehicle checkpoint along the Princes Freeway outside of Melbourne after the city went into lockdown in response to an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), near Melbourne, Australia, July 13, 2020.
Image: AAP Image/James Ross via REUTERS Victoria Police and ADF personnel work at a vehicle checkpoint along the Princes Freeway outside of Melbourne after the city went into lockdown in response to an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), near Melbourne, Australia, July 13, 2020.

A state of disaster was declared in Australia's Victoria on Sunday, with the local government implementing a night curfew as part of its harshest movement restrictions to date to contain the coronavirus.

State Premier Daniel Andrews said that the new restrictions, to be in place for six weeks until mid-September, will allow only one person per household to go shopping once a day. Melbournians will not be able to go further than 5 km (3 miles) from home.

Reuters