Coronavirus Second Wave: Australia Records Highest Single-Day Jump With 85 Cases
Australia recorded its highest single-day tally of coronavirus cases on Monday with 85 new cases. This has led many state officials to consider reimposing COVID-19 restrictions to fight the further spread of the virus.
Victoria, Australia’s second most populous state, confirmed 75 new cases in the past 24 hours. New South Wales recorded seven, while South Australia had three. This marks the biggest jump in cases in the country since April 11.
“Today we have 75 new cases of coronavirus in Victoria. Obviously we are concerned by the increasing number and the upward trend and we are monitoring the situation very closely,” said Victoria Health Minister Jenny Mikakos.
According to Mikakos, 37 cases were detected during testing, 14 are linked to outbreaks, one case is in hotel quarantine, while 23 are still under investigation. She confirmed there were no deaths overnight.
Six schools in the state have also been confirmed to have students testing positive for COVID-19. These are Aitken Hill Primary School, Al-Taqwa College, Footscray High School, Maribyrnong College, Port Phillip Specialist School and Queen of Peace Parish Primary School, The Guardian reported.
“Changing the law is something we have to consider because we have to do whatever is required to turn this around,” Brett Sutton, Victoria’s chief health officer, said.
Queensland and South Australia are reconsidering plans to reopen their borders to Victoria and NSW as cases continue to mount. Western Australia has already confirmed it isn’t looking to reopen until August.
Despite the surge in cases, Australia’s Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer Alison McMillan said what the country is experiencing is a “community outbreak” and not a “second wave” of the coronavirus. She said a “second wave” would mean a wider community transmissions across the country.
“We are seeing this localised to a particular area of Victoria, and Victoria is working very hard to contain that and minimise the spread,” she told reporters.
As of June 29, 3:09 p.m. AEST, Australia has 7,764 confirmed cases and 104 deaths, daat from Worldometer revealed.
