Melbourne began the first day of a six-week total lockdown on Thursday. The second-biggest city in Australia is closing most shops and businesses.
Shops were shut and streets were deserted in the city of about five million people, the capital of Victoria state, which reported 471 new coronavirus cases and eight deaths in one 24 hour period.
Australia has now recorded about 20,000 Covid-19 cases and 255 fatalities, Reuters reports.
New South Wales reported 12 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, taking the national tally to 483. There were no cases reported in other states and territories.