Australia extends COVID-19 lockdown in Melbourne, reinstates night curfew

A lone woman, wearing a protective face mask, walks across an unusually quiet city centre bridge on the first day of a lockdown as the state of Victoria looks to curb the spread of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Melbourne, Australia, July 16, 2021. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

SYDNEY — Australian authorities reinstated a night curfew and extended COVID-19 lockdown measures in Melbourne for another two weeks to contain an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta coronavirus variant.

The current lockdown was due to end on Thursday night but will now run until Sept. 2, Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters in Melbourne, the state capital.

The state on Monday reported 22 local cases, down from 25 a day earlier.

“The rules don’t kick in until midnight, but I’m asking people to observe that curfew from 9 p.m. tonight,” Andrews said.