Covid Victoria: State extends lockdown to curb outbreak

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The Australian state of Victoria will extend its lockdown by another week as authorities battle to control a growing virus outbreak.

Officials say people have been catching the virus from “fleeting” encounters in a Melbourne outbreak of the B.1.617.1 strain, now named the Gamma variant by the World Health Organization.

Australia’s second most-populous state will now be locked down until 10 June.

It’s the fourth shutdown endured by residents so far in the pandemic.

Six new local cases were reported

This post was originally posted on BBC News. Read the rest of the story at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-57325513.

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