Australia's Victoria has reported low numbers of new Covid-19 cases, raising hopes of an end to a lockdown in the state as planned, while neighbouring New South Wales looks set to extend its strict stay-home orders.

Australia is fighting to douse an outbreak of the highly infectious Delta virus variant since the first case was detected in Sydney more than a month ago in a limousine driver who transported overseas airline crews, Reuters reports.

Since then, the virus has spread to other states forcing authorities to enforce lockdowns in Sydney, home to a fifth of Australia's 25 million population, and all of Victoria and South Australia, where restrictions are due to end Tuesday night.