Australia's Melbourne extends lockdown

The doors are staying closed a little bit longer for Australia's city of Melbourne.

On Wednesday the local government announced that a snap lockdown will last a second week in an effort to contain the highly contagious virus strain first detected in India.

Victoria state Acting Premier James Merlino warned the tough measures were needed or else cases could explode:

"So we have right now 60 cases and over 350 exposure sites, and a variant of the virus that is quicker and more contagious than we have ever seen before. The best way to stop this virus is via vaccination but, as we know, only two per cent of our population is fully vaccinated."

Six new locally acquired cases were reported on Wednesday.

The latest outbreak has been traced back to a traveler who returned from overseas.

The person left hotel quarantine in South Australia state after testing negative, but later tested positive in Melbourne.

Australia's tough approach on containing the virus - including snap lockdowns like this, border restrictions and tough social distancing rules, have largely helped the country suppress the virus.

And Australia's latest economic report card shows it's bouncing back, thanks to consumers and businesses spending, it expanded by a real 1.8% in the three months to March.

It's one of only a handful of countries that now boasts an economy larger than before the pandemic.