There is more hopeful news coming out of Victoria today, as the number of new COVID-19 infections continues to decline. Just 14 new cases have been recorded in the last 24 hours.
This is the lowest-single day increase in more than three months, and this is also the tenth day in a row that the number of new recorded cases has dipped below 50.
Sadly, there were also five deaths reported in the latest round of figures. Today’s number of new cases, however, is the lowest since June 16, when just nine were recorded in Victoria.
This news is also encouraging, in that it puts the state on track for further easing of restrictions, as laid out by Premier Daniel Andrews in the roadmap to reopening.
Per the official Department of Health and Human Services guidelines, metropolitan Melbourne moves to the Second Step when the daily average case rate is between 30-50 cases over the previous 14 days.
At this stage, September 28 is the earliest date set out for the further easing of restrictions.
#COVID19VicData: Yesterday there were 14 new cases and the loss of 5 lives reported. The 14 day rolling average & number of cases with unknown source are down from yesterday as we move toward COVID Normal. Info: https://t.co/eTputEZdhs #COVID19Vic pic.twitter.com/AVvaMLwUpQ
— Victorian Department of Health (@VicGovDH) September 19, 2020
Metropolitan Melbourne moves to the Third Step when the daily average number of cases is less than 5 across all of Victoria over the previous 14 days, and there are less than 5 cases with an unknown source in the last 14 days, state-wide.
The earliest date for these restrictions to ease is October 26.
Victoria moves to the Last Step when there are no new cases for 14 days in the state, and these restrictions won’t change before November 23.
For more information on these steps and what they actually mean for residents of Victoria, you can see the state government’s roadmap to reopening here.
