2nd day with no cases

Melbourne on Tuesday recorded its second consecutive day with no new coronavirus cases, as bars and restaurants in the epicentre of Australia's second-wave outbreak prepared to reopen after a lengthy lockdown.

The milestone comes as the city's 5 million residents await a partial lifting of virus restrictions at midnight.

The landmark for Melbourne and the surrounding Victoria state follows strict measures to contain an outbreak that peaked at more than 700 daily cases in August.

AFP