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Australia Imposes Toughest COVID-19 Restrictions as State of Disaster
Declared

Phil Mercer

   SYDNEY - The Australian state of Victoria has declared a state of
   disaster and is introducing the country's toughest-ever COVID-19
   lockdown measures.The move comes as a further 671 cases and seven
   deaths were confirmed Sunday.Australia has had almost 18,000
   coronavirus infections.More than 200 people have died.

   A "public health bushfire" is how the authorities in Victoria have
   described the COVID-19 emergency. "You can't smell the smoke and you
   can't see the flames" but this, they have said, was a "wicked enemy."

   A state of disaster has been declared and Melbourne, a city of five
   million people, is under tough new restrictions, including a night-time
   curfew that will last for six weeks.

   After early success in suppressing the coronavirus, Australia has had
   fewer confirmed infections and deaths than many other countries.But the
   worsening situation in Victoria has the entire country on edge.

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