Japanese home-goods chain Muji files for bankruptcy, citing Covid-19
The Australian state of Victoria reported another 273 cases of coronavirus and one death on Saturday, according to the state’s Premier Daniel Andrews.
The state has now recorded 1,184 active cases — 57 of those are in hospital, with 16 patients in intensive care, Andrews said.
After weeks of keeping the virus under control, Victoria is battling a worrying spike in cases. Last week, the state closed its borders in order to stop the spread.
“This is a dangerous time, this is a very challenging time,” Andrews said.
He urged people to follow the government’s stay-at-home order and warned citizens that they would be fined if caught “out and about doing the wrong thing.”
Residents in metropolitan Melbourne have been subject to strict lockdown measures since earlier this week. They cannot leave their homes unless it’s for grocery shopping, caregiving, exercise or work.
Healthcare workers test positive: Eight healthcare workers at a hospital in Melbourne have tested positive for coronavirus.
Five of those people are believed to have contracted the virus through community transmission, and not at work, the Alfred Hospital said in a statement released Sunday.
Three of the cases were identified through contact tracing efforts. Currently, no patients have contracted Covid-19 within the hospital.
Schools go virtual: Andrews also said Sunday that most students in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, a municipality north of Melbourne, will return to online learning once the winter break ends on July 20.
“We can’t have the best part of 700,000 students as well as parents moving to and from schools and moving around the community as if there wasn’t a stay at home order, as if there wasn’t a lockdown,” Andrews said.
Andrews said that students in years 11-12 will be returning to face-to-face learning, while certain year 10 students will also be allowed to return to in-person classes.
Education Minister Jason Merlino said the state has already rolled out 48,000 laptops and 26,000 WiFi dongles for students who will be doing at home learning.
