Australia's Victoria state reports 12 new COVID-19 cases, two deaths

Australia’s Victoria state, the epicentre of the country’s COVID-19 outbreak, said on Thursday the number of new daily infections was close to a three-month low, buoying hopes that restrictions will be eased sooner than expected. The Victorian government said 12 people had been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, near a three-month low of 11 cases reported earlier this week. Australia’s second-most-populous state is on an extended hard lockdown until Sept. 27, although some restrictions may be eased earlier if new infections continue to trend lower.