Australian police enforce new lockdown in Melbourne’s virus hotspots

Australian police set up checkpoints in coronavirus hotspots in suburban Melbourne on Thursday, enforcing stay-at-home orders as the authorities struggle to contain new outbreaks. The use of drones is also being considered.

More than 1,000 police set up checkpoints in 36 suburbs across the country’s second-largest city, which has been locked down again after a spike in new infections.

While the rest of Australia opened state borders and loosened social-distancing restrictions, Melbourne’s state of Victoria promised to fine those in the affected zones who breached curbs on non-essential movement.

Victoria has reported 77 new cases in the past 24 hours, which is up slightly from the previous day and in line with weeks of double-digit daily increases, Reuters reports.