MELBOURNE, Australia: Australia鈥檚 coronavirus hot spot Victoria recorded 288 new cases on Friday, the largest number of any state since the pandemic began, and authorities warned the spread could worsen.
Victoria, Australia鈥檚 second-most populous state after neighboring New South Wales, has been cut off with border closures by other states. All states and territories but New South Wales had eradicated community transmission of the virus, but Victoria-linked infections are spreading.
鈥淐ertainly 288 new cases today is a pretty ugly number,鈥� Victoria鈥檚 Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said.
The previous high for a 24-hour period was 212 on March 28 at the peak of Australia鈥檚 first wave of infections and during a national lockdown.
Victoria hopes a second lockdown in Melbourne, the nation鈥檚 second most populous city with 5 million people, will curb the spread. It was imposed Wednesday and will last six weeks.
The Victoria tally reflected a new record of more than 37,500 tests in a day, state Premier Daniel Andrews said.
The benefit of the lockdown across Melbourne and a part of its outskirts will not be apparent in the infection numbers for more than a week, Sutton said.
鈥淲e may well get worse numbers to follow,鈥� before it gets better, he said.
But Sutton said Australia was still tracking comparatively well through the pandemic, referring to the United States which has a population 13-times larger than Australia鈥檚 26 million people.
鈥淥ur numbers are the numbers that the US gets every 10 minutes,鈥� Sutton said. 鈥淲e are still in a fortunate position and we have gone to a lockdown at this juncture in order not to have those kinds of pressures manifest in our system.鈥�
Australian states have banned people crossing their borders if they have been in Victoria in the past two weeks.
Victoria has banned international arrivals at Melbourne Airport after breaches of hotel quarantine in Melbourne were blamed for the country鈥檚 only widespread transmission of COVID-19.
Australia will more than halve the rate at which its citizens and permanent residents can return home on international flights to reduce numbers in hotel quarantine, the federal and state governments have agreed.
The number allowed to return to Australia each week would be reduced by more than 4,000 from next week.
Sydney, Australia鈥檚 largest city, has been carrying a disproportionate burden of hotel quarantine that is currently paid for by the New South Wales government.
Queensland, to the north, charges travelers 2,800 Australian dollars ($1,900) for their two weeks in hotel quarantine, making Sydney are more attractive destination for Queenslanders to return from overseas.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison other states are moving to charge for hotel quarantine, given that Australia has been urging citizens for weeks to return as soon as possible. Outside Victoria, most of Australia鈥檚 COVID-19 cases are detected in overseas travelers quarantined in hotels.
Victoria on Friday became the first state to recommend its residents wear masks.
Residents are advised to wear masks if they can鈥檛 maintain 1.5 meters (5 feet) social distancing such as when they鈥檙e on public transport or in supermarkets.
Australia has recorded more than 9,000 COVID-19 cases and 106 patients have died.