AUSTRALIA’S worst-hit state of Victoria today reported 15 coronavirus deaths, including a man in his 30s, making it the country’s deadliest day of the pandemic to date.

An outbreak in Melbourne, Australia’s second-biggest city and the capital of Victoria, has seen hundreds of new cases recorded daily in recent weeks, including 725 today.

The surge continues even though Melbourne has been under a stay-home lockdown for nearly a month.

Victoria Prime Minister Daniel Andrews told a press conference that the latest fatalities include a man in his 30s and 12 linked to care homes for the elderly.

Covid-19 has spread rapidly through nursing homes in the city, with almost 1,500 active infections linked to the facilities.

Authorities imposed an overnight curfew in Melbourne from Monday, and have closed non-essential businesses and ordered mandatory mask-wearing as they try to bring the outbreak under control.

Andrews said all but the most urgent elective surgeries will be postponed “until further notice” to ease the strain on hospitals.

“The sickest patients must get treated quickest.

“This is a regrettable decision, but it is a very important one in order to preserve sufficient capacity in our entire health system.”

Australia has now recorded more than 19,000 infections and 247 deaths.

Victoria has been effectively sealed off from the rest of the country, with people banned from visiting or leaving except in limited circumstances.

Other states and territories continue to detect few or no new daily cases. – AFP, August 5, 2020.