People gather at a so-called "Freedom Day" protest in Melbourne, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. Police in Australia's hardest-hit Victoria state are urging people to stay away from rallies protesting the lockdown in Melbourne. (James Ross/AAP Image via AP)
The Associated Press
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - The premier of Australia's Victoria state announced a slight easing of restrictions in Melbourne but the country's second-largest city will remain in lockdown until at least Oct. 26.
State police charged a protester with assault after an officer suffered cuts to the head during an anti-lockdown rally in Melbourne on Saturday.
Police said that seven others have been charged with breaching COVID-19 directions after about 200 gathered at the Shrine of Remembrance and Albert Park. Scuffles between protesters and police resulted in more than 160 fines for contravening lockdown measures or not wearing a mask.
'œDespite all the warnings, it was disappointing to see individuals turn out to protest in the city, putting the lives of Victorians at risk,'ť a police statement said.
On Sunday, health officials said Victoria recorded 63 new cases and five more deaths. It takes the state's total fatalities to 666 and the national death toll to 753.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said that from Sept. 13, the nightly curfew will start an hour later at 9 p.m. and run until 5 a.m. People living alone can nominate a friend or family member who can visit them. Two hours of daily exercise will be allowed, including social interactions such as a picnic at a park or reading a book at the beach.
He said further restrictions could be eased from Sept. 28 and the government will consider lifting the curfew entirely from Oct. 26.
'œWe can't run out of lockdown. We have to take steady and safe steps out of lockdown to find that COVID normal,'ť Andrews said.
In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:
- China's government on Sunday reported 10 new coronavirus infections, all believed to have been acquired abroad, and no deaths.
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Police arrest a man as people gather at a so-called "Freedom Day" protest in Melbourne, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. Police in Australia's hardest-hit Victoria state are urging people to stay away from rallies protesting the lockdown in Melbourne. (James Ross/AAP Image via AP)
The Associated Press
A health worker takes a nasal swab sample to test for COVID-19 in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. India's coronavirus cases have crossed 4 million, leading the world in new infections and deepening misery in the country's vast hinterlands where surges have crippled the underfunded health care system. Initially, the virus ravaged India's sprawling and densely populated cities. It has since stretched to almost every state, spreading through villages. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
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Nuns of the Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Saint Teresa, wearing masks and face shields as precaution against the coronavirus distribute food to impoverished and homeless people to mark the anniversary of the saint's death in Kolkata, India, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. The Nobel Peace Prize winning Catholic nun who spent 45-years serving for the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, died in Kolkata on this day in 1997 at age 87. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
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A Kashmiri woman reacts as a health worker takes her nasal swab sample to test for COVID-19 in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. India's coronavirus cases have crossed 4 million, leading the world in new infections and deepening misery in the country's vast hinterlands where surges have crippled the underfunded health care system. Initially, the virus ravaged India's sprawling and densely populated cities. It has since stretched to almost every state, spreading through villages. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)
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People wait in a queue to register their names before giving their nasal swab samples to test for COVID-19 at a government health center in Hyderabad, India, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. India's coronavirus cases have crossed 4 million, leading the world in new infections and deepening misery in the country's vast hinterlands where surges have crippled the underfunded health care system. Initially, the virus ravaged India's sprawling and densely populated cities. It has since stretched to almost every state, spreading through villages. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
The Associated Press