MELBOURNE, Australia — Australia recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic Monday as the government urged hot spot Victoria state to announce its plans to lift a lockdown on the country’s second-largest city. Victoria’s health department reported 41 deaths from COVID-19 and 73 new infections in the latest 24-hour period. Consumer spending had fallen 30% in Victoria due to the lockdown while spending had declined by only 3% across the rest of Australia. In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:— Hong Kong authorities say nearly half a million people have registered for a free universal coronavirus testing program that is due to begin Tuesday. — South Korea has counted its 18th straight day of triple-digit daily jumps in coronavirus cases as its health minister warned about an increase in transmissions gone untraced and infections among senior citizens.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer August 31, 2020 02:48 UTC