Coronavirus In Australia: Victoria Reports 41 Deaths, 73 New Cases

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Victoria’s coronavirus death toll jumped by 41 on Monday as the state recorded 73 new cases. 

The rise in fatalities was the state’s biggest since the pandemic began but the Department of Health said the deaths included 22 people who died in the weeks leading up to 27 August and were reported to DHHS by aged care facilities on Sunday. 

Victoria returned to the triple digits on Sunday with 114 new cases, a day after the daily tally fell to 94, its lowest in nearly two months. 

Melbourne is four weeks into a six-week hard lockdown that authorities have said may ease only gradually.

“At 100, 94, at 114, whatever the number, we simply could not open up,” premier Daniel Andrews told a televised briefing.

The premier said on Monday a roadmap on easing restrictions will be released Sunday September 6. 

“It is too early for us to either open up right now, or put forward a detailed road map as to what that opening up will look like,” Andrews said. 

“Another week’s data when it comes to fighting this virus is so, so important, and we do hope that over the course of this week we continue to see numbers fall further.” 

Australia has suffered about 25,600 infections and just over 600 deaths since the start of the year.