New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has extended a coronavirus lockdown in the country’s largest city until the end of the week and introduced mandatory mask wearing on public transport across the nation.

Ardern said the four-day extension in the city of Auckland was critical to enable the country to step down its scale of emergency restrictions — and remain at less restrictive levels.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Australia has reported its lowest one-day rise in new coronavirus infections in almost two months, fuelling optimism that a deadly second wave is subsiding.

According to Reuters, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland and Western Australia states reported a combined 121 new cases over the past 24 hours, the lowest single-day rise since July 5.