Australia’s Victoria reports 108 new coronavirus cases, biggest jump in over three months

FAN Editor
FILE PHOTO: Disinfectant products are seen on a car whilst motorists fill out paperwork for police as they cross back into South Australia from Victoria during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Bordertown
FILE PHOTO: Disinfectant products are seen on a car whilst motorists fill out paperwork for police as they cross back into South Australia from Victoria during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Bordertown, Australia, March 24, 2020. REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy

July 4, 2020

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s second most-populous state, Victoria, reported its biggest jump in coronavirus cases since late March on Saturday, forcing it to expand stay-at-home orders to two more suburbs and sending nine public housing towers in a complete lockdown.

The southeastern state recorded 108 new cases on Saturday, up from 66 on Friday and more than 70 new cases in each of the previous four days, forcing authorities to reimpose lockdowns in more than 30 suburbs earlier in the week.

“These numbers are a very real concern to all of us,” Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews told a news conference.

The spike in Victoria is being closely watched as the rest of the country has reined in the virus that causes COVID-19.

Australia’s most populated state, New South Wales, reported six new coronavirus cases on Saturday, five of them returning travellers from overseas.

The sixth is a past infection and not an active case, according to health officials. The state reported no new cases on Friday.

Overall, Australia has weathered the coronavirus pandemic much better than most other nations, with just over 8,300 cases and 104 deaths so far.

(Reporting by Swati Pandey; Editing by William Mallard)

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