Australia has recorded its biggest one-day rise in Covid-19 deaths although a slowdown in new cases gave hope that a second wave of new infections in the state of Victoria may have peaked, according to Reuters.

Nineteen people had died from the virus, all in Victoria, in the past 24 hours, a national daily record. However only 337 people had been diagnosed with Covid-19 across the country, the lowest one-day rise since July 29, officials said.

“This is an agonising day for the members for the 19 families who have lost a loved one to Covid-19 today,” Michael Kidd, Australia's deputy chief medical officer, told reporters.

“We are now seeing the first promising signs of a significant decline in the number of cases.”