- Victoria has hit a grim new milestone, with 800 residents confirmed to have died after contracting COVID-19
- Premier Daniel Andrews announced the statistic today, as well as more encouraging news that there were less than 300 active COVID-19
- The last time the state’s active caseload was that low was over three months ago, on June 29
- Premier Andrews also revealed Melbourne was on-track to further ease restrictions on October 19
- Additionally, both NSW and South Australia are considering fully opening their border to regional Victorians
Victoria has hit a grim new milestone, with the state’s COVID-19 death toll officially hitting 800.
The new total number of deaths comes as an additional two people were confirmed to have died on the last day after contracting the virus.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews also confirmed an additional 15 new cases of the coronavirus were picked up during the same period.
Significantly though, the Premier revealed today that the state’s number of active cases had fallen to under 300 — the first time its been that low in over three months.
He said following this achievement, Melbourne residents can expect lockdown restrictions to ease further from October 19 onwards.
“Those numbers have been steadily falling and we anticipate that trend to continue,” the Premier said.
“We’re confident we’ll be able to build a COVID-normal Christmas, a COVID-normal summer, and a virus at such a low level that we can sustain that over the long term,” he added.
Melbourne has already begun easing restrictions across the city, as case numbers drop — with the city’s curfew extended and some workplaces and schools allowed to reopen.
The next step would see a five kilometre bubble abolished and the return of most schools, workplaces and special occasions.
Regional Victoria has already had a lot of its lockdown restrictions eased, after only four cases were recorded over the last two weeks.
South Australia and NSW are now considering fully opening their borders to regional Victorians, after months of varying closures.