01 September,2020 08:41 AM IST | Melbourne | Agencies
A worker disinfects the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira, an underground church built into a salt mine, on Sunday. The cathedral is waiting for an authorisation from the Health Ministry for its reopening. Pic/AFP
Australia recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic on Monday as the government urged hot spot Victoria state to announce its plans to lift a lockdown. Victoria's health department reported 41 deaths from COVID-19 and 73 new infections in the latest 24-hour period.
While the deaths were a state and national high, the tally of new cases was Victoria's lowest since 67 new cases were recorded on June 30 in the early weeks of the second wave, which has primarily been concentrated in the state capital, Melbourne.
A six-week lockdown in the city is due to be relaxed on September 13. But the state government has not said how it will be relaxed or given any assurances that it won't be extended. Victoria has recorded over 19,000 cases, almost 80 per cent of Australia's more than 25,000 cases. The state also accounts for the vast majority of Australia's 650-plus deaths. Australia's Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on Monday he disagreed with the Victorian government that it was too early to announce plans to reopen the economy.
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New Zealand has lifted a lockdown imposed on the city of Auckland and also made it mandatory to wear masks on public transportation. The city had been in a lockdown for over two weeks after an outbreak of the coronavirus was discovered earlier this month. Health Minister Chris Hipkins on Monday said it was safe to reopen Auckland because all the recent infections have been linked to the same cluster through contact tracing.
Hong Kong authorities say nearly half a million people have registered for a free universal COVID-19 testing programme that is due to begin on Tuesday. Residents registering online have already booked out 80 testing sites located for the initial day of the programme, stated to the government's website. It said other centres still have places if the number of those signing on rises above the 4,20,000 registered as of late Sunday.
South Korea has counted its 18th straight day of triple-digit daily jumps in COVID-19 cases. The 248 new cases reported on Monday brought the total caseload to 19,947, including 324 deaths. The health minister said the source over 20 per cent of the cases found in the past two weeks haven't been traced. Officials are also concerned that the death toll could rise because many who tested positive this month were 60 years or older.
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