Australia's Victoria state has reported zero locally acquired cases of Covid-19 for the first time in nearly three weeks as state capital Melbourne comes out of a snap two-week lockdown after an outbreak that has seen about 90 cases since May 24, reports Reuters.

Melbourne exited the lockdown on Thursday night but some restrictions on travel and gathering will remain, including a rule that would force the city's five million residents to stay within 25 kilometres of their homes.

Neighbouring New South Wales state and Queensland, meanwhile, are on virus alert after an infected woman and her husband travelled from Victoria through several country towns in both states. read more

Australia has fared much better than many other developed countries during the pandemic, with just over 30,200 Covid-19 cases and 910 deaths, mostly in Victorian aged-care homes. Snap lockdowns, internal border controls and tough social distancing rules have helped it contain prior outbreaks.