Australian state has biggest one-day rise in Covid-19 cases in 7 months

Sydney: Australia's second most populous state reported on Wednesday its biggest single-day rise in COVID-19 cases in more than seven months and warned the next 24 hours would be critical to limit the spread of a cluster without clamping on tough new curbs.

The six new cases were the largest daily rise in the southeastern state of Victoria since October 2020. Authorities warned that more than 300 close contacts of sufferers had been identified, with many having visited crowded locations. "These cases are linked and that's a good thing, but we are very concerned by the number and by the kind of exposure sites," the state's acting Premier James Merlino told reporters in Melbourne.