Victoria records 73 new local cases

The state’s health department announced the new local cases just before 8.30am on Monday, which included another 21 mystery infections.The department said 52 of the 73 new cases could be linked to existing outbreaks.They said the number of cases that were in isolation throughout their infectious period would be provided later in the day.It comes after 92 locally acquired cases were recorded on Sunday, the highest daily increase since September 2 last year during Victoria’s deadly second wave.Victoria has recorded more than 50 local cases on nine of the past 11 days.The rising cases despite tough lockdown measures have prompted Premier Daniel Andrews to extend the state’s sixth shutdown beyond the planned end this Thursday.Mr Andrews said too many cases had been out in the community while they were sick, which meant the lockdown could not end on September 2.But he said there was not yet any advice from the chief health officer as to what the next date would be for a possible end date to the lockdown.“As soon as we get advice and decisions are made, we will announce and give people as much notice as we can,” he said.There are now more than 930 exposure sites in multiple suburbs across metropolitan Melbourne and more than 16,800 people remain in isolation across the state.There are now 805 active cases across the state, up from 778 on Sunday.The health department said 171 of the 778 active cases on Sunday were aged nine and under, 113 were aged between 10 and 19 years old, and 154 were aged in their 20s.No new cases were recorded in hotel quarantine on Monday.jack.paynter@news.com.au Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au