MELBOURNE CITY ENTERS PARTIAL LOCKDOWN OVER SPIKE IN CASES

MELBOURNE: Hundreds of thousands of people across Melbourne’s north and west were ordered to stay at home on Tuesday as Australia’s second-biggest city struggled to contain a spike in coronavirus cases.

The southern state of Victoria has recorded 233 Covid-19 cases since Thursday - mostly in Melbourne - a major surge in a country that has otherwise successfully curbed the spread of the virus.

State premier Daniel Andrews said more than 30 Melbourne neighbourhoods would be subject to the lockdown from midnight on Wednesday until July 29.

The areas covered are home to more than 300,000 people, in the city of roughly five million.

Residents will be allowed to leave their homes only for work or school, to exercise, or to buy food and other essential items.

People from other areas will be prevented from entering the worst-affected communities, with police on patrol and officers stopping cars to conduct random checks. Many businesses will have to close down just weeks after reopening.

NEW ZEALAND TO HOST APEC 2021 ONLINE WELLINGTON: New Zealand said on Tuesday that next year’s APEC summit of Asia-Pacific leaders will be held online, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern warning there is no guarantee the global coronavirus pandemic would be over by late 2021.

The annual 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering was due to be held in Auckland in November 2021, attracting thousands of delegates, diplomats and journalists to New Zealand’s largest city.