More than 30 suburbs in the Australian city of Melbourne will be placed under lockdown for a month to contain the spike in COVID-19 cases.
The stage three restrictions, which will come into effect late Wednesday, will impact around 300,000 people.
It will be accompanied by a testing blitz, with authorities hoping to curb its spread.
So far, the country has recorded around 7,830 cases and 104 deaths, but the recent surge has stoked fears of a second wave of COVID-19.
The measures come as curbs ease across the rest of the state of Victoria.


Zohran Mamdani wins NYC mayoral race, capping meteoric rise
Death toll rises to 11 in fire at Bosnian retirement home
Driver rams into pedestrians in western France, nine injured
Philippines begins cleanup after Typhoon Kalmaegi leaves at least 85 dead
