Australia closes state border for first time in 100 years to combat virus spread

The border between Australia’s two most populous states will close from Tuesday for an indefinite period, announced the government on Monday, following an outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic in the state.

The decision marks the first time the border with neighbouring New South Wales has been shut in 100 years – officials last blocked movement between the two states in 1919 during the Spanish flu pandemic.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Melbourne, Victoria’s capital, has surged in recent days, prompting authorities to enforce strict social-distancing orders in 30 suburbs and put nine public housing towers into complete lockdown.

On the other hand, dozens of military medics were deployed to help combat the coronavirus pandemic in South Africa’s third most affected province.

The deployment to East Cape province comes a day after South Africa recorded more than 10,800 new COVID-19 cases, taking the cumulative infections to 187,977.

Forty-seven defence force medical personnel landed in Eastern Cape city of Port Elizabeth to help shore up the health service, which is buckling under rising number of cases.