They thought they were right about the pandemic. But here it goes, and stronger. Australia announced this Wednesday 502 new cases of coronavirus, the highest figure ever recorded on the island-continent, the authorities saying that the country was now entering a critical phase.
The vast majority of cases have been identified in the last 24 hours in the state of Victoria (south), struggling with major outbreaks in Melbourne and its suburbs, which have been subjected for nearly two weeks to de new containment measures.
13,000 cases and 128 deaths
The previous peak of the epidemic dated from March 28 when 459 cases had been recorded according to figures compiled by AFP. The country subsequently managed to contain the spread of the virus, to the point that restrictions could be lifted. Like neighboring New Zealand, Australia had been praised for its effective management of the crisis.
Australia now has nearly 13,000 cases of Covid-19, a disease that has killed 128 in this country of 25 million people.
No isolation reflex
As of midnight Wednesday evening, the inhabitants of Melbourne will be required to wear a mask when they leave their homes, at the risk of being caught if they do not have one of a fine of 200 Australian dollars (123 euros). But Victoria Prime Minister Daniel Andrews said further behavioral changes were needed.
A study has shown that 90% of patients diagnosed in the past two weeks did not have the reflex to isolate themselves between the time they felt symptoms and the time they had taken a test. More than half of the new patients have not observed a strict quarantine at home while awaiting their results. Investigations made public this week showed that the resumption of the epidemic was likely linked to breaches in hotels where residents returning to Australia are quarantining.
Sydney hit
Neighboring states have closed their borders with Victoria, but 16 cases have nevertheless been detected in New South Wales, where Sydney is located. The city has several outbreaks of contamination, which the authorities believe to be linked to the visit to a pub of a man in Melbourne who was contaminated. The Prime Minister of this state, Gladys Berejiklian, presented the coming weeks as "the most critical" for several months. "We are by no means out of the woods, on the contrary", she declared during a press conference.
Other cases have also been identified, one in Queensland and another in South Australia.
Homes in retirement homes
Daniel Andrews explained that many temporary workers who could not obtain sick leave were particularly worried about the drop in income linked to their contamination. However, he recalled that they could request exceptional public assistance of AUD 1,500 if they fell ill.
Authorities are also increasingly concerned about the spread of the disease among the most vulnerable populations due to homes in nursing homes. In six prisons, inmates were confined to their cells because a guard had tested positive.
This new wave is weighing down hopes of a rapid economic recovery in a country which is expected to experience its first recession in 30 years, due to the coronavirus.
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Coronavirus: Australia isolates its state most affected by the pandemic
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