The Latest: Virus cases decline in hard-hit Australia states

Australia's New South Wales state has recorded 10 new deaths and 667 locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, as its outbreak continues to ease.

“Three weeks ago we had 1,599 cases," state Health Minister Brad Hazzard said Sunday. "And just three weeks later today I am very pleased to be able to tell the community that we are down, I wanted it down to zero if we can get it there, but 667 today locally acquired cases.”

Meanwhile, the state of Victoria recorded 1,220 new community acquired cases of COVID-19 and three deaths in the past 24 hours. The state, Australia's second most populous, set a record of 1,488 new cases on Saturday.

“I want to thank each and every one of those more than 71,000 Victorians who went and got tested," Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said Sunday. "It is critical to us, knowing where this virus is, where it isn’t.”

There were 71,275 tests conducted Saturday in Victoria and 36,248 vaccine doses administered. There are now 11,785 active cases in the state.

The Australian Capital Territory recorded 38 locally acquired cases in the past 24 hours.

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MORE ON THE PANDEMIC:

— COVID-19 deaths eclipse 700,000 in US as delta variant rages

— Russia: Antibody tests for COVID-19 remain popular, factor in low vaccine rate

— Far-right protesters in Romania reject virus restrictions

— California to require COVID-19 vaccines for schoolchildren

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See all of AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

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