Nearly two million people in southern Australia will face a severe lockdown over the next six days.

Schools, catering establishments, shops and many other businesses in the state of South Australia have to close at midnight. Residents are ordered to stay at home and weddings are temporarily banned.

Authorities are taking a drastic measure to halt a local outbreak. 22 corona infections have already been identified. Medical officer Nicola Spurrier warned that it is a variant of the virus that can spread quickly.

There would be an incubation period of only 24 hours and, according to her, infected people show hardly any symptoms. That is why, according to her, immediate action is required.

Australian media reports that residents of the regional capital Adelaide immediately started hoarding when they heard about the lockdown. There were long queues at supermarkets.

Products such as toilet paper, mouth caps, pasta and rice flew from the shelves. “This is completely unacceptable. There is no reason for panic buying,” stressed police chief Grant Stevens, according to ABC broadcaster.

Australia has combated the coronavirus very effectively compared to some other countries. 27,000 infections have been diagnosed, about the same number as in the much smaller Luxembourg.