Australia's COVID-19 outbreak expands, new cases in Melbourne

FILE PHOTO: A lone woman, wearing a protective face mask, walks across an unusually quiet city centre bridge as the state of Victoria looks to curb the spread of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Melbourne, Australia, July 16, 2021. REUTERS/Sandra Sanders

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia's Victoria state reported a slight rise in new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, raising the prospect of an extended lockdown in Melbourne as officials battle to contain a Delta strain outbreak.

State officials reported 20 new cases, up from 11 a day earlier, and added dozens of new venues to a list of virus-exposed sites in Melbourne, including cafes, supermarkets and fuel service stations.