Australia’s Victoria state has reported 273 new cases of the coronavirus and another Covid-19 death, marking a week of triple-digit increases in infections, as state authorities battle fresh outbreaks of the pandemic.

Melbourne, the capital of Australia’s second most-populous state, went under a six-week lockdown on Thursday after a spike in community-transmitted cases.

“This is a dangerous time,” Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews told a news conference.

According to Reuters, today's cases, the second highest for Victoria, home to a quarter of Australia’s 25 million people, follow a record 288 infections reported on Friday. The increase partly reflects increased testing, with the state conducting more than 30,000 tests daily.