SYDNEY (REUTERS) – Australia on Monday (Aug 17) recorded its biggest one-day rise in Covid-19 deaths, though the state at the epicentre of the country’s outbreak said the number of new infections held steady.

The country’s second most populous state of Victoria said 25 people had died from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, more than the previous worst daily toll of 21 reported nationally on Aug 12.

The southeastern state recorded 16 deaths on Sunday. 

State authorities said 282 new Covid-19 cases had been detected, about the same as the 279 cases reported on Sunday. 

Those numbers are well below the peak of more than 700 daily cases in Victoria earlier this month and health officials are confident strict lockdown measures are working to contain the virus.

The government have been battling to contain a second outbreak of the virus in Victoria, which has seen triple-digit daily new cases for weeks.

Australia has reported 23,500 Covid-19 cases and 421 deaths, far fewer than many other developed nations.

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