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26-10-2020
By SJA Jafri + Bureau Report
CANBERRA/ MELBOURNE/ DOHA: Victoria in Australia has recorded no new Covid-19 cases for the first time since Melbourne – the state capital – went into lockdown 111 days ago.
The state was the epicentre of Australia’s second wave, accounting for over 90% of the country’s 905 deaths.
It saw cases surge to over 700 per day in July, but severe stay-at-home rules and a curfew have curbed the numbers.
State officials are expected to soon ease restrictions in Melbourne, the country’s second-largest city.
An announcement had been expected on Sunday, but a small outbreak in the city’s north warranted a delay, Premier Daniel Andrews said but on Monday the state health department reported no new cases from the outbreak, and no new deaths across the 
state. The state has not seen a day of no cases since 9 June.
Locals were celebrating the milestone, with #CovidVic and #DoughnutDay – a reference to the number zero – trending on social media.
Australia adopted an approach of using lockdowns alongside proactive testing and tracing to contain the virus.
A nation of 25 million people, it has recorded about 27,500 infections – far fewer than many nations. It has had more than 900 deaths.
The state government put Melbourne into its second lockdown in early July after cases exceeded 100 cases per day. 
Infections peaked about a month later, before beginning to fall.
As the virus spread outside the city, stay-at-home restrictions were also imposed on the rest of the state but Melburnians endured the toughest measures including a night-time curfew, a one-hour limit on outdoor exercise, and a ban on travelling more than 5km (3.1 miles) from their home.
Most retail stores, restaurants and workplaces remain closed and most household visits are still banned.
The heavily policed lockdown – one of the toughest in the world – has divided opinion among the city’s residents and prompted small protests.
In recent weeks, many business owners and others have called for the state to re-open, but others have supported the premier’s cautious approach.
Meanwhile, the Australia has raised “serious concerns” with Qatar after women were reportedly subjected to invasive internal exams as they tried to board a flight from Doha to Sydney.
The examinations reportedly happened after staff at Hamad International Airport discovered a newborn baby in a terminal toilet. The baby remains unidentified and is being cared for.
Thirteen Australians were among those said to have been examined.
They were taken to an ambulance on the tarmac and told to remove their underwear before being examined, Channel Seven reported.
The women were not told why they were being examined before boarding the Qatar Airways flight on 2 October.
The Australian government has raised the incident with Qatari authorities.
“We have formally registered our serious concerns regarding the incident with Qatari authorities and have been assured that detailed and transparent information on the event will be provided soon,” a spokesman for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told local media.
A spokesman for New South Wales police, which runs the hotel quarantine operation for those arriving in Sydney, 
said of the incident: “Those women completed mandatory quarantine in NSW, during which time they were provided with medical and psychological support by NSW Health.”
Qatar Airways have not yet responded to a request for comment.
A spokeswoman for Hamad International Airport said: “Medical professionals expressed concern to officials about the health and welfare of a mother who had just given birth and requested she be located prior to departing” the airport.
The airport is seeking information about the mother, while the child is being cared for by medical and social workers.
