Australian health authorities have announced that no new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the past 24 hours in the state of Victoria (south), which in recent months has been the heart of the second epidemic wave in the huge island -continent.
While the country had been relatively effective in containing the first wave of coronavirus, Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, experienced a surge in cases this summer, due to neglect in hotels where people returning from abroad were doing their quarantine.
The five million inhabitants of Melbourne were subjected in the wake of drastic restrictions, including a night curfew which was lifted in late September after nearly two months.
Residents were required to stay in their homes and could only move within a five kilometer radius for a number of clearly defined activities.
Some restrictions were lifted last week, with residents being allowed to play golf or go to the hairdresser.
But pressure is mounting for a broader lift of restrictions amid falling cases.
It was the first time since early June that the state had not registered any new cases on Monday. The lockdown came in July, when the number of new cases was around 190 per day. That figure had climbed to 700 in August.
Wearing a mask is still compulsory, restaurants can only be taken out, non-essential businesses have not been allowed to reopen and it is forbidden to leave Melbourne and its outskirts, or to go to more 25 km from his home.
Australia, with a population of 25 million, has around 27,500 cases since the start of the pandemic, and 905 deaths from COVID-19.