Deadliest day of pandemic in Australia's Victoria state

Australia has reported the nation's highest daily death total since the virus outbreak began, but it also reported the fewest daily cases from the virus hotspot city Melbourne since last month. Monday's daily new case count was the lowest recorded in the state of Victoria since July 29. Victoria reported 322 new infections and 19 new deaths on Monday, with 14 of the deaths connected to outbreaks at aged care facilities.

"This news is devastating no matter what age COVID affects people, and we just want to reaffirm again our support through every channel we can provide it," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Canberra.

Morrison said he was more hopeful now that cases are stabilizing in Victoria than he has been at any time over the past week. But Victoria's state Premier Daniel Andrews cautioned that it was only a single day's data, and that some of the state's most stringent lockdown measures had only come into effect at midnight Sunday.

"We are seeing some stability. That's a good thing. But that's not enough. And that's the product of masks and Stage 3. That's what the experts tell us. The next stage, though, is all about these restrictions that we've had to painfully impose," Andrews told reporters in Melbourne.

The figures did not include new infections and deaths from other Australian states, although Victoria has been accounting for the vast majority of both in recent weeks. Since the outbreak began, Australia has reported more than 21,000 infections and more than 300 deaths.