Australia has ordered millions of people locked down in its second-biggest city to combat a surge in coronavirus cases, as nations across the planet scrambled to stop the rampaging pandemic, AFP reported.

“We can't pretend” the coronavirus crisis is over, said Daniel Andrews, premier of Victoria state, after its capital Melbourne reported 191 new cases in 24 hours.

“These are unsustainably high numbers [...] There is simply no alternative (to the lockdown) other than thousands and thousands of cases and potentially more.”

The lockdown of the Melbourne metropolitan area would begin at midnight on Wednesday and last at least six weeks, while Victoria state will effectively be sealed off from the rest of the country a day earlier.