Victoria’s spike has struck again, with 11 COVID-19 deaths and 76 new cases on Sept 9.
The deaths take the state toll to 694 and the national figure to 781.
It’s the first time since Saturday that fatalities have been in double figures.
Wednesday has proved a stubborn day as the numbers for the state’s second wave steadily subside.
The fatalities and new cases are the same as they were last Saturday.
But Wednesday’s increase is still below the Melbourne 14-day average of 78.6.
The state health department confirmed metropolitan Melbourne’s 14-day average has hit 78.6 despite new infections lifting slightly to 55 on Tuesday.
In the face of criticism from the prime minister, Premier Daniel Andrews said a team of officials would visit NSW later this week to look at that state’s contact tracing system.
“NSW are dealing with very small numbers of cases,” he told reporters.
“That’s a different challenge to dealing with hundreds and thousands.
Asked if the NSW contact tracing system could have contained Victoria’s hotel quarantine outbreak, federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said: “Yes, that’s my belief.”
Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton told 3AW he wished the system was as “robust” then as it is now but couldn’t say if NSW’s team would have stopped the second wave.
By Callum Godde and Roger Vaughan
