Australia: Local gov’t asks military to aid virus fight

New coronavirus cases rise in country as Victoria province struggles to battle against pandemic

ANKARA: A local authority in Australia requested military support from the federal government for its battle against the coronavirus, the local media reported on Wednesday.

The government in Victoria province pursued the military support to help manage its COVID-19 outbreak, according to the daily Sydney Morning Herald.

Australia reported 30 more coronavirus cases – 20 in Victoria and 10 in New South Wales, all of them were home returnees.

One more COVID-19 patient died in Victoria on Wednesday, taking the death toll to 103 in the country. It is first coronavirus death in more than a month reported in the country.

Australian state extends state of emergency as coronavirus cases spike

The Victorian authorities asked the military for help in hotel quarantines as their security guards have been infected by the coronavirus.

Twenty-eight Australian Defense Force (ADF) personnel are already assisting the local government Victoria.

The ADF officials are set to meet Victorian health authorities today to discuss the plan on deployment of military personnel on the ground in Melbourne.

Australia has reported over 7,520 coronavirus cases. Nearly 7,000 patients have recovered, the government conducted some 2 million tests to determine infections.