Australia Edges Toward Lockdown as Infections Surge Past 1,000
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People sunbathe on Bondi Beach ahead of its closure in Sydney on March 21.
Photographer: Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images
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Australia is edging toward lockdown with authorities preparing to shutter non-essential services and close state borders after the number of coronavirus cases in the nation surged past 1,000.
New South Wales and Victoria, the two most-populous states, said that while supermarkets, petrol stations, pharmacies and freight and logistics will remain open, non-essential activity will be stopped over the coming 48 hours. Victorian schools will close from Tuesday.