Victoria, Australia’s second most populous state, and amidst a second wave of coronavirus infections reported 90 new cases of Covid-19 overnight on Wednesday.
The numbers are a third straight day of double-digit new cases for Victoria, indicating the strict lockdown measures are reducing the infection rate. Last month daily new infections peaked at more than 700.
The numbers are also encouraging authorities to loosen lockdown restrictions that have shut large swathes of the state’s economy.
Melbourne, the state’s capital and Australia’s second-largest city, has entered its fourth week of a six-week lockdown with authorities scheduled to detail on Sunday the timetable for easing curbs.
Though strict restrictions have helped to contain the spread of the virus, it wreaked havoc on the economy with official data due later on Wednesday expected to show the country has entered its first recession in three decades.
Australia has detected nearly 26,000 infections since the pandemic began, with Victoria accounting for about 75% of those cases. The national death tally rose to 663 after Victoria reported six deaths in the last 24 hours.
Queensland state recorded two new COVID-19 cases, both linked to existing cases.
