Melbourne residents to wear masks when leaving home as Australia reports record rise in coronavirus cases

Residents of Australia’s second most populous city, Melbourne, must wear masks when leaving home from Wednesday, Reuters reports. The country recorded 501 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, its highest since the epidemic took hold in March. The death toll also rose by two to 128, according to officials.

The state of Victoria, of which Melbourne is the capital, accounted for most of the new cases, with 484, while the state of New South Wales was on “high alert.”

Cross-border travel between Victoria and New South Wales will only be allowed for work, education or medical care, after the border was closed this month for the first time in 100 years.