Australia seals borders between its most populous states to tackle outbreak

SYDNEY: In lieu of the recent spike in the cases in the city of Melbourne, Australia would be closing the borders between its two most populous states for an indefinite period. The borders between Victoria and New South Wales would be sealed for the first time in a hundred years. The surge in Victoria’s capital city of Melbourne has forced the authorities to enforce strict social distancing norms in 30 suburbs and put nine public housing towers in complete lockdown.

The borders would be patrolled by the military to prevent any illegal crossings, Gladys Berejiklian, Premier of New South Wales told reporters. However, he also said people could apply for permits for daily commutes, which would be granted only after a delay of three days.

The country has fared better than other countries but the COVID-19 cases reported in the past week saw a jump in numbers, when 254 cases were reported from the country. Out of the 254, 127 were reported from Victoria. Daniel Andrews, Premier of Victoria, has said that although it is the right call, it will bring forth significant challenges to the now recovering economy of the country.