Victoria enjoys fifth day in a row with NO new coronavirus cases – as millions prepare for restrictions to be eased within days
- Victoria on Wednesday went a fifth straight day with no new coronavirus cases
- No cases found in community or returned travellers from 20,201 tests overnight
- State government is set to announce significant easing of restrictions on Friday
Victoria has recorded a fifth straight day with no new coronavirus cases, as health officials look to further ease restrictions on Friday.
The state’s Department of Health said it had recorded no cases in either the community or returned travellers from 20,201 test results overnight.
The announcement comes as Victorians prepare for social distancing restrictions to be eased further in the state when Premier Daniel Andrews makes an official announcement on Friday.
A florist works on an order in Melbourne on February 13. Victoria has recorded a fifth straight day with no new coronavirus cases
Thousands remain in self-isolation after coming into contact with cases linked to the Holiday Inn outbreak.
But Friday marks the end of the two-week incubation period for most of those close contacts.
Mr Andrews is likely to the revert the state to its ‘COVIDSafe Summer’ restrictions he put in place before the cluster of cases linked to the quarantine hotel emerged.
‘I think we are very well placed. I hope to be able to make some significant announcements on Friday,’ Mr Andrews said on Tuesday.
‘That will then mean we can go back to hopefully, pretty much those COVIDSafe Summer settings.’
The eased restrictions could mean households will be allowed to host as many as 30 visitors, while offices can return to 75 per cent capacity.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he is ‘well placed’ to make significant changes to the state’s Covid-19 restrictions on Friday
A total of 22 cases have been traced back to a family of three staying on the third floor of the Melbourne Airport hotel in early February, who contracted the highly-infectious UK strain of the virus overseas.
Fears the virus would spread into the community led to a five-day “circuit-breaker” lockdown, which ended last Thursday.
Some restrictions, including mask-wearing and strict gathering limits, remain until Friday when the last close contacts end 14 days of isolation.
More to follow
Source link