FILE PHOTO: An essential worker walks past a 'Please Stay Home' sign on the first day of a five-day lockdown implemented in the state of Victoria in response to a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Melbourne, Australia, February 13, 2021. REUTERS/Sandra Sanders
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SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's second most populous state Victoria on Monday said it was investigating two suspected positive COVID-19 cases in Melbourne, which if confirmed would be the first community transmissions in the state in nearly three months.
Victoria was the worst hit Australian state during a second wave of COVID-19 late last year, accounting for about 70% of total cases and 90% of deaths. The state only controlled the outbreak after one of the world's longest and strictest lockdowns.