The Australian worst-hit state of Victoria recorded its fifth straight day without any new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, less than two weeks after it exited a strict lockdown.
From the beginning of August until late October, Victorians remained under the strictest Covid-19 restrictions in the country, during which virus numbers steadily declined from a peak of over 700 per day down to zero, reports Xinhua news agency.
Measures included a nightly curfew, mandatory use of face masks in public areas, business closures, and a five-km travel limit.
Last week, Victoria allowed hospitality and retail businesses to reopen and rolled back restrictions on residents being allowed to leave their homes.
Officials in the state of New South Wales said on Wednesday that they would reopen the border with Victoria from November 23, allowing residents to move freely without having to quarantine.
However, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews urged residents not to rush to leave the state during the upcoming Christmas period.
"Don't go to Sydney for Christmas for summer holidays. We have lots of places here you can visit," Andrews said.
Meanwhile, Sydney recorded three new locally acquired cases, all of which were already in isolation, having been linked to a cluster in the city's western suburbs.
Overall Australia has recorded 27,610 infections since the start of the pandemic, many of which had travelled from overseas and tested positive while undertaking two weeks hotel quarantine.
The country's death toll stood at 907.
(To download our E-paper please click here. The publishers permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
