Australia: Victoria state reports highest daily increase in Corona cases

Melbourne: Australia's second-most populous state of Victoria reported 317 new cases on Thursday, the state's highest one-day rise in infections and the country's largest since early April. 

Victoria has been isolated from the rest of the country for more than a week following a fresh outbreak of the disease. The 4.9 million residents in its capital, Melbourne, have been ordered to stay home except for essential business.

The record number of cases comes as the Australian government announced their plan to commit a further A$2 billion ($1.4 billion) into wage subsidy and training programs to counter rising unemployment in the country. That decision gives the first indication of how Prime Minister Scott Morrison plans to prop up the economy beyond September when a broader A$60 billion wage subsidy package is still due to expire. 

"Victorian situation is very concerning. But as the, I think the chief health officer in Victoria was remarking today, they are, I think, hopeful that what we're seeing is those figures starting to level out. I said yesterday that I thought this would still be at a high level for some time, but as the effects of the lockdown I think kick in, then hopefully we'll see those new case numbers fall. And so yes it is a big setback in Victoria."- said PM Scott Morrison.

Victoria premier Daniel Andrews said- "it is 317 new cases since we last updated you. Of those 317 new cases, 28 connected and known to be connected to contained outbreaks and complex cases, 289 of those are under investigation by our public health team. I'm very sad to have to report that there have been two further Victorians pass away, bringing the total number of deaths as a result of this virus to 29."