Prognosis
Melbourne Retail, Manufacturing Shut to Contain Virus
- Victoria reports another 429 new cases in past 24 hours
- Current lockdown measures failing to flatten infection curve
Police detain an anti-mask protester in Melbourne on July 31.
Photographer: William West/AFP via Getty Images
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Australia’s Victoria state will shut down large parts of its retail and manufacturing sectors for six weeks across the city of Melbourne after a lockdown failed to contain a spike in coronavirus cases.
Premier Daniel Andrews on Monday also announced that construction firms must radically reduce the number of workers on site across the city, while production at meatworks statewide will be cut by a third. Essential services such as banks, supermarkets, pharmacies and petrol stations will remain open, he said.