Asia Today: Australian state's cases spike, borders to shut

Asia Today: Australian state's cases spike, borders to shut

SeattlePI.com

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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The hard-hit Australian state of Victoria recorded a death and its highest-ever daily increase in coronavirus cases on Monday as authorities prepare to close its border with New South Wales.

The death of a man in his 90s brings the national death toll from COVID-19 to 105.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said of the 127 new cases, 53 were among 3,000 people who have been confined by police to their apartments in nine public housing blocks since Saturday.

Australia’s Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has described the high-rises as “vertical cruise ships” because of the high risk of virus spread.

Andrews said the high number of cases reflected a daily record number of tests exceeding 24,500.

Andrews also announced that the state border with New South Wales will be closed from late Tuesday night in an agreement between the two state premiers and Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Morrison had previously opposed states closing their borders.

It will be the first time Australia’s two most populous states have closed their border since the pandemic began.

New South Wales had previously banned travel from dozens of Melbourne suburbs that were locked down last week for a month due to high rates of infection.

The leader of Australia’s most populous state said her government’s decision to close its border with hard-hit Victoria marked a new phase in the country’s outbreak.

New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian had criticized states that closed their borders to New South Wales residents when Sydney, the state capital and Australia's largest city, had most of the country's COVID-19 cases.

She noted the overwhelming majority of new cases in Melbourne in recent weeks were from community transmission. Everywhere else in...

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