COVID-19: Australian city goes on total lockdown, as global cases surge past 12m

The Australian city of Melbourne has been placed on total lockdown just weeks after restrictions were lifted as the city battles a resurgence of the COVID-19 disease.

Reports say no fewer than five million in the city regarded as Australia’s second biggest, will now have to stay indoors as residents have been advised by government on Wednesday to stay indoors.

The state of Victoria, which announced a further 165 new cases, has been effectively sealed off in an effort to preserve the rest of Australia’s success in curbing the virus.

Meanwhile, more than 12 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the coronavirus disease, known as COVID-19, and at least 548,896 have died, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

About 6.5 million patients have recovered from the virus according to data by the American university with US COVID-19 cases hitting 3 million.