The number of coronavirus cases recorded worldwide topped 18 million today with the illness continuing its march, after Australia's second-largest city imposed a curfew to halt the spread.
Six months after the World Health Organization declared a global emergency, the virus has killed more than 687,000 people since it first emerged in China late last year, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources.
Fresh clusters have been reported in countries that had previously brought their outbreaks under control, forcing governments to reimpose lockdown measures despite worries over further economic fallout.
Australia's Victoria state imposed fresh, sweeping restrictions yesterday, including a curfew in Melbourne for the next six weeks,