Australia has recorded its lowest one-day rise in new Covid-19 infections in a month, buoying hopes that a stringent lockdown in the country’s second-most populous state has prevented a fresh wave of cases nationally.

Led by cases in Victoria state — the epicentre of Australia’s latest Covid-19 outbreak — Australia said it has detected 226 new infections in the past 24 hours, the lowest since July 18 when 212 cases were recorded.

According to Reuters, the national figure is well below the more than 700 infections detected in a single day earlier this month, almost all of which were in Victoria.