Photo: ReutersPeople in Melbourne must now wear masks when leaving their homes as Victoria, Australia's second most-populous state, marked two weeks of triple-digit increases in new coronavirus infections on Sunday. "We're going to be wearing masks in Victoria and potentially in other parts of the country for a very long time," Andrews told a televised briefing. Masks are "a simple thing, but it's about changing habits, it's about becoming a simple part of your routine." Victoria became the first state in Australia, a country of a loose federal system, to require masks for part of its population. On Sunday, NSW reported 18 new infections, its highest in three months.

Source: Otago Daily Times July 19, 2020 05:15 UTC