Latest COVID-19 numbers: 13 new Victorian cases confirmed as two Australians die

Victoria has recorded another 13 cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 1281.

It comes as two more Australians died of coronavirus overnight, bringing the national virus death toll to 61.

Both of the deceased, a 74-year-old man who died in John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, and a 79-year-old man who passed away at the Northern Beaches Hospital, were passengers on the Ruby Princess cruise ship. Their deaths bring the ship death toll to 18.

Across Victoria there are 40 people are in hospital, including 14 in intensive care.

Premier Daniel Andrews shared a message of cautious optimism when announcing the new figures.

“We are seeing a curve that is flattening, but it is fragile,” he said.

Nationwide, there were just 33 new cases of coronavirus confirmed overnight, bringing the national figure to 6335.

But chief medical officer Brendan Murphy warned the falling rate of diagnosis may be due to lower testing rates over the long weekend, not because of a true downtrend in transmission.

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