FILE PHOTO: Beachgoers enjoy a sunny day at Bondi Beach despite growing concerns about the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Sydney, Australia, March 20, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australian officials closed Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach on Saturday after thousands of people flocked there in recent days, defying social distancing orders to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, amid an unusually warm autumn spell.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said the crowds on the country's most famous strip of sand were "unacceptable" as he reported the number of infections across Australia had risen sharply. Hunt confirmed 874 cases, but Australian media later reported the tally exceeded 1,000 when updates from several states were taken into account. The death toll was seven, unchanged from a day earlier. New South Wales state police minister David Elliott announced Bondi's closure, warning "this is going to become the new norm" if people did not comply with regulations that prohibit more than 500 people gathering at a non-essential event.
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