Advertisement

Coronavirus Victoria: 14-day average falls again, 16 new cases

Melbourne’s 14-day coronavirus cases average has fallen again as Victoria recorded 16 new infections and two deaths in the past 24 hours.

This takes Metropolitan Melbourne’s 14-day average to 22.1, down from 23.6 reported on Saturday, ahead of Sunday’s expected announcement by Premier Daniel Andrews detailing eased lockdown restrictions.

This also takes regional Victoria’s average to 0.6, down from 0.8 the day before.

On Saturday, Victoria confirmed it had 12 new cases of COVID-19 and one death.

Pictured is a healthcare worker with a mask at a pop-up coronavirus testing facility in Clyde, Melbourne, Friday, September 18, 2020.
A healthcare worker at a pop-up coronavirus testing facility in Melbourne. Source: AAP Image/James Ross

Sunday's statistics take the state's pandemic death toll to 784 and the national figure to 872.

The 14-day averages for cases with an unknown source have also dropped to 31 for metropolitan Melbourne and zero for regional areas.

The latest data cases comes as the state government prepares to announce what freedoms can be returned to locked down Melburnians.

The state's "roadmap" out of lockdown announced in early September is due to be tweaked on Sunday following better-than-expected progress in fighting the spread of the virus.

Many will be hanging on the premier's words at what has become a sombre tradition of weighty Sunday press conferences.

The two-week rolling daily case average is well under the aim of 30-50.

Mikakos resigns

Mr Andrews spent his daily coronavirus briefing on Saturday being grilled over the resignation of former health minister Jenny Mikakos.

She quit after the premier suggested she was partly to blame for the bungled coronavirus hotel quarantine scheme.

Mr Andrews revealed he did not speak to Ms Mikakos before or after she resigned, but received a text from her informing him of her decision.

He said he believed Ms Mikakos’s resignation was an “appropriate course of action”.

– with AAP

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.