Australia's COVID-19 epicentre extends hard lockdown till late September

Australia's coronavirus hot spot state of Victoria on Sunday extended a hard lockdown in its capital Melbourne until Sept. 28, as the infection rate has declined more slowly than hoped. 'We cannot open up at this time. If we were to we would lose control very quickly,' State Premier Daniel Andrews told a televised media conference on Sunday. The hard lockdown was ordered on Aug. 2 in response to a second wave of infections, that erupted in Melbourne.