Australia's New South Wales reports 319 new COVID-19 cases, third straight daily record

MELBOURNE: Australia's most populous state of New South Wales reported 319 COVID-19 infections on Saturday, the highest number since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, eclipsing the previous record daily number of 291 cases set the day before.

Five more people have died in the current outbreak of the highly transmissible Delta variant, which began in New South Wales in mid-June. The number of deaths in the latest outbreak has risen to 27, bringing the total number who have died from COVID-19 in New South Wales since the start of the pandemic to 84.

There are currently 345 people admitted to hospital, with 56 in intensive care, of whom 23 require ventilation, state authorities said.

Neighbouring Victoria reported 29 new locally acquired coronavirus cases, the highest daily jump this year, as the state remains under a strict seven-day lockdown imposed earlier this week to try to rein in the highly infectious Delta variant.