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Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed 275 new coronavirus infections in Victoria and another death. It comes as the state continues to record triple-digit cases each day.
The figure was lower than Sunday’s 363 new cases but Mr Andrews warns that the state is still less than two weeks into lockdown. “This is our new normal, at least for the next four-and-a-bit weeks and beyond that, I think that we will have to embrace things like masks,” he said.
"We had a very big day Friday and we had a substantial drop-off, even though we had done more tests," he said.
"This shows you that it is a wicked enemy, and until we bring some stability to this, we won't be able to talk about a trend. I am much happier to be able to report a lower number than a higher one."
Mr Andrews stressed that Melbourne still hadn't reached two weeks of lockdown. "I know a day in this pandemic feels like a month, we are all very clear on that," he said.
Meanwhile, NSW saw another 20 cases, including a number connected to a concerning outbreak at Batemans Bay on the south coast.
“Our state continues to be on extremely high alert and at a critical point,” NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said. “We have the opportunity to isolate the cases that we have, to clamp down and reduce incidence of the virus spreading.”
Berejiklian said there was one positive to take out of the new 20 cases – they're all from known sources.
"If you've been told to stay home 14 days, you have to stay home 14 days. Stay home when you're meant to be at home," she said.
"Our state continues to be on extremely high alert and at a critical point. We have the opportunity to isolate the cases that we have, to clamp down and reduce incident of the virus spreading."
Ms Berejiklian encouraged people to wear a mask if they can't guarantee social distancing where they're going.
"Don't go to locations where you know there's going to be a crowd – we are in a pandemic and the next few weeks are critical," she said. "If we can get through the next month, we'll know we can keep moving forward in NSW."
The NSW outbreak is affecting nearby ACT, with anyone in the territory who attended the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club last week will now be "legally required" to self-isolate for two weeks.
The venue on the nearby NSW south coast has emerged as the centre of a troubling new coronavirus cluster, with NSW authorities warning "hundreds and hundreds" of people will be required to isolate.
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