Closed state: The new Virus-scare in Australia

Actually wanted Australia to finish until the end of July, all of the Lockdown measures. But now "Down Under" have to fight "" with a resurgence of infections. The focus of the spread in Victoria with its capital Melbourne, where on Monday 127 new cases registered the highest growth in the state since the beginning of the pandemic had been. Across the country there were 140 cases. Because of this development, are now closed again for the first time domestic borders.

Till Fähnders

Political correspondent for Southeast Asia.

it was announced on Monday that the state of New South Wales from Wednesday to leave no more people from the neighbouring state of Victoria in. Only in exceptional cases flights and train journeys are allowed, as the Prime Minister of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian announced. Residents from New South Wales, the return from Victoria, will need for two weeks in quarantine.

Entire city in Lockdown?

On the closure of the Border had agreed Berejiklian, the Prime Minister of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, and the Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison. The increase in cases in Victoria for the authorities great concern, because it goes back to infections in the population and not, as in the other Federal States returning from abroad travellers. So Victoria had closed already on Saturday, nine blocks of flats with social housing under a "hard Lockdown" after a strong increase in infections was found. According to Minister Andrews blocks of life in this living, more than 3000 people. The measure will initially apply to five days, but it could be two weeks extended. In this time, all residents will be tested on Covid-19.

Andrews rejected the representation of his government have lost in the fight against the Virus, the control. He did not rule out that the entire metropolis of Melbourne could be sent with almost five million inhabitants in the Lockdown, granted, but such speculation for the time being a rejection. A representatives of the authorities, according to the tight living conditions in the social housing blocks on the one of the reasons for the rapid spread of the Virus. There is growing concern that there could have been hundreds of residents infected, even if they showed no symptoms. The Prime Minister spoke of the biggest challenge since the beginning of the pandemic in the state. "It is also a group of people among whom some of the most in Victoria belong to the most vulnerable," said Andrews.

The social buildings are in the suburbs of Flemington and North Melbourne. The local residents, including many former refugees, were of the Lockdown have been surprised. For criticism of the massive police presence, with the measure now will be set caused. Some residents reported that they felt locked up like in a prison. In addition, dam residents ' values, they would have had no time to provide themselves with food. The authorities distributed food packages reached some of the families seem to be delayed. Also resulted in criticism that the residential blocks were preemptively closed, in which so far no infections were identified. A local resident described this to the Australian press as a "discriminatory".