Australia: Victoria state lockdown end date in doubt after new COVID-19 cases

Australia's Victoria state, which had gone into a snap lockdown, recorded three new coronavirus cases overnight on Monday, throwing into doubt the date for the end of the week-long lockdown.

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Reports said at least nine cases were detected in the last 24 hours, with over 42,000 tests conducted so far. The coronavirus cases jumped last month amid slow vaccination in the country.

The lockdown was set to end on Thursday as Victoria's state health minister Martin Foley said, "I don't know if there is going to be an extension or not."

Foley pointed out that there were cases of community transmission, with several new areas added to the coronavirus hotlist. Australia's second-highest populous state was put under a snap lockdown on May 27. 

Australia has been successful in curbing the virus for the past year with just 30,100 cases and 910 fatalities reported till May.

However, the number of cases surged last month worrying health authorities as coronavirus cases were linked to care centre for senior citizens in the city.

The Morrison government has been criticised for the slow vaccine rollout as total vaccination doses reached just four million last week which authorities were expected to reach in March.

Authorities have now ramped up vaccination in aged care centres and for disabled workers with walk-in vaccination stations set up including in Victoria.

Melbourne also reported new cases since the lockdown began with authorities asserting that the cases are linked to breach in South Australia hotel quarantine.

(With inputs from Agencies)