Victoria has reported 43 more COVID-19 cases and nine deaths, taking the national toll to 797.
The number of fresh diagnoses recorded in the 24 hours to the morning of Sept 11 maintains the state’s lowering infection rate and assists the vital 14-day average.
Victoria has recorded 710 coronavirus deaths since the start of the pandemic.
Despite the ongoing spread, there has been good news for regional Victoria this week, with just 72 active cases and its fortnightly daily average sitting at 4.5.
The number have prompted Premier Daniel Andrews to point to the easing of regional restrictions by late next week.
“Regional Victoria are quite close to being able to take perhaps not just one step, but two,” he said.
The premier, meanwhile, is refusing to budge on Melbourne’s lockdown curfew despite a second senior official distancing himself from the controversial measure.
Victoria’s police boss Shane Patton revealed the force never requested the introduction of the curfew, two days after chief health officer Brett Sutton said it wasn’t his recommendation.
The government is already under fire for its botched hotel quarantine program and much-maligned contact tracing efforts, while the newly announced COVID-19 roadmap has also sharply divided opinion.
A new survey, published on Sept 10, found Andrews’ satisfaction rating among health workers has plummeted since the second wave hit.
The survey conducted by TKW Research found just 58 percent of 300 frontline health workers were satisfied with his handling of the pandemic, down from 86 percent in April.
