The Australian government sends around a thousand soldiers to the metropolis of Melbourne to fight the corona virus. Defense Minister Linda Reynolds said today that up to 850 of them should check whether travelers from abroad comply with the prescribed 14-day quarantine.
A further 200 soldiers are said to provide logistical and medical support for coronavirus test facilities. A significant increase in new coronavirus infections in the state of Victoria has caused great concern in Australia. Most of them occurred in the regional capital Melbourne. The authorities in Victoria have recorded almost 150 new infections in the past few days.
Hotel as a source of infection
Many of the new infections in Melbourne – the country’s second largest city after Sydney – appear to be related to a hotel in which Australians returning from abroad were quarantined. A clothing store in the north of the city is also one of the new sources of infection.
The Australian Armed Forces are already deployed to fight the pandemic. For example, soldiers guard the borders of states that are closed to visitors from outside. The military also supports health and emergency services.
