SYDNEY, Oct 30 — Australian officials said today there just under 200 active cases of Covid-19 in the country, the lowest number in more than four months and well down from a peak of just over 8,000 in mid-August.

Officials reported just 11 new infections in the past 24 hours, the bulk of which were people already in hotel quarantine after arriving from overseas.

Australian states and territories have begun further relaxing domestic travel bans, although some restrictions remain.

In Victoria state, which accounts for more than 90 per cent of the country’s 905 Covid-19 deaths, a weeks-long stringent lockdown in the city of Melbourne was eased earlier this week.

Advertisement

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today said her state would reopen to visitors from neighbouring New South Wales, with the exception of Sydney residents.

Australia has recorded just over 27,500 novel coronavirus infections, far fewer than many other developed countries. — Reuters