Queensland, Victoria record no new cases of COVID-19

Victoria has joined Queensland in recording no new COVID-19 cases today – the first time for the southern state in more than four months. LATEST COVID-19 UPDATES

Queensland has recorded no new cases of COVID-19, with only three active cases remaining in the state.

Two of the three cases remain in hospital but they are not in ICU.

The state has conducted a total of 1,215,772 COVID tests since the pandemic began.

Hospitality, retail to reopen this week in two-phase easing of Melbourne restrictions

Victoria records no new coronavirus cases overnight, hospitality and retail to reopen

Australians kept in the dark on rollout of a COVID vaccine

It comes as Victoria also recorded no new coronavirus cases today – the first time since June 9 – as pleas for Daniel Andrews to open up the state intensify.

Melbourne’s 14-day rolling average is well below the safe threshold of five, falling from 4.6 to 3.6 overnight. There are seven cases from an unknown source.

Regional Victoria’s 14-day rolling average is just 0.2

Despite the low numbers Melbourne remains under lockdown, with Melburnians only able to travel within a 25km radius and only able to leave home for four essential reasons.

Daniel Andrews was set to ease restrictions on Sunday, but a virus cluster across Melbourne’s northern suburbs forced the government to delay over fears infections would blow out of control.

While some restrictions were eased in regional Victoria, there was no joy for Melburnians on Sunday with the Premier saying a “cautious pause” was needed due to the outbreak.

“I know it’s very frustrating,” he said.

“We’ll keep people updated today, and tomorrow.”

But the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed no new additional cases were linked to the northern metropolitan outbreak after more than 1,135 tests results were returned on Sunday night.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison had slammed Mr Andrews over his decision not to lift restrictions, saying he was profoundly disappointed in the lockdown measures.

Mr Andrews was to front the media later on Monday.

In NSW one new locally acquired case of COVID-19 was detected in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, with an additional three cases recorded in overseas travellers in hotel quarantine.

The new local infection is in a household contact of a case linked with the Oran Park community cluster. There are now 23 cases associated with that cluster.

The new cases were detected in 7,447 tests, down from 12,465 the day before.

Meanwhile, Tasmania has officially opened up to ‘low-risk’ jurisdictions, including Queensland.

The southern state had kept its borders closed since the start of the pandemic but will today open up to other regions apart from Victoria and NSW.

Anyone looking to enter Tasmania needs to register their travel via the Tas E-Travel online system at least three days prior to arriving.