Melbourne was ordered to remain in lockdown for another week, as Australian authorities try to stamp out a quick-spreading coronavirus strain they described as an "absolute beast".
Five million city residents were hoping to exit a seven-day lockdown just before midnight tomorrow, but those plans have been thwarted by the spread of the "Kappa" variant, which originated in India.
The World Health Organization has designated Kappa as a variant of interest. "We've got to run this thing to ground otherwise people will die," Victoria's acting state Premier James Merlino said, describing this strain of the virus as "quicker and more contagious than we have ever seen before".