Published 13:26 IST, August 23rd 2020
Victoria records 17 new deaths from coronavirus
The Australian state of Victoria recorded more than 200 new cases of coronavirus for the first time in three days on Sunday.
- World News
- 2 min read
The Australian state of Victoria recorded more than 200 new cases of coronavirus for the first time in three days on Sunday.
The state reported 208 new cases and 17 deaths.
The latest fatalities took Australia's national toll to 502 and Victoria's to 415.
However, Victoria Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said the overall trend in the state was positive.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said more than 20,000 people were tested on Saturday despite it being Melbourne's wettest August day in 20 years.
Melbourne residents have been told they will have to wear masks in public, even when strict lockdown regulations are eased next month.
Sutton said the mask mandate would not be lifted until community transmission had been eradicated.
Queensland state recorded two new cases Sunday, including a baby boy.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the boy, whose age and other details have not been released, was doing "very well."
The baby is a family member of one of the cases linked to the outbreak at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre, where six people were confirmed infected.
Australia's most populous state, New South Wales, reported four new cases on Sunday.
Australia's central bank expects the national accounts, to be released on September 2, will show the nation has suffered its first recession in nearly 30 years with two quarters of negative growth.
The Reserve Bank expects the economy to have contracted about 7% between the start of April and the end of June.
Updated 13:26 IST, August 23rd 2020