The Australian state of Victoria has recorded 148 new cases of coronavirus and eight further deaths, the state's health department has announced.
A man walks past a sign urging people to wear face masks in Melbourne as the city battles an outbreak of the Covid-19 coronavirus. Photo: AFP
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The latest fatalities take the state's Covid-19 death toll to 438.
Yesterday's total of 116 new cases was the state's lowest in more than seven weeks .
It followed 209 new cases on Sunday and 182 on Saturday.
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Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to give his regular daily update with details about the new cases later today.
Yesterday, he announced his Government would seek to change laws so that Victoria's state of emergency could be extended by another 12 months.
Expiry of state of emergency would be a health risk, Minister says
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos urged Upper House MPs to endorse the changes, despite concerns about the plan from the Opposition and crossbench MPs.
"Those Members of Parliament need to understand they will be putting Victorians' health at risk if they do not support this legislation," she told ABC Radio Melbourne.
She said she would be required to report to Parliament every time the state of emergency was extended.
A Melbourne ambulance officer transfers an elderly man.The state of emergency underpins legally-enforceable directions on issues such as mask wearing. Photo: AFP
"This is not the government making these decisions unilaterally. It has to be based on the public health advice."
She said if the state of emergency expired, "every person who's currently diagnosed with Covid-19 who's legally required to stay home would be free to leave their home".
Yesterday the government started to publish more detailed and interactive information about coronavirus cases and outbreaks on the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) website.
Outbreaks in nursing homes remain a concern, with 1538 of the state's active cases linked to aged care facilities.
All of the 15 deaths reported yesterday were linked to aged care.
As of yesterday, there were 476 active cases in healthcare workers.
- ABC