Australia's Victoria state eases out of COVID-19 lockdown as cases soar

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SYDNEY, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Australian state of Victoria hit several COVID-19 milestones on Thursday, with daily case numbers once again rising sharply while vaccination rates passed a key benchmark.

Health authorities reported that 70.51 percent of Victorians aged 16 and over were fully vaccinated as of Wednesday, an all-important figure as the government had been waiting until the 70 percent target was reached before easing lockdown conditions.

On Twitter, Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews congratulated residents for their vaccination efforts, saying he was "so proud."

"Because of everything Victorians have done, tomorrow we can start getting back to the things we love," Andrews wrote.

The relaxing of restrictions means that from 11:59 p.m. Thursday, fully vaccinated Victorians will be able to leave their homes to dine out, have a drink at the pub and go retail shopping, among others.

The "freedoms" have been a long time coming, especially for residents of the capital city of Melbourne, who have lived through six extended lockdowns totalling 262 days.

The relaxations, however, come amid the rising daily cases of the Delta strain of the virus.

Victoria recorded 2,232 new local cases and 12 related deaths during the previous 24 hours, the state's second highest ever daily increase.

Overall, Victoria's vaccination rate is a fraction above the national average of 70 percent.

Regions that have now reached the threshold include the island state of Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, and the state of New South Wales (NSW) which has surged to 82.3 percent.

NSW recorded 372 new local cases and one death in the 24 hours up to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday. The state has had 66,686 cases in total. Enditem

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