Australia's COVID-19 hotspot state reports one case after four month city lockdown lifted

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's COVID-19 hotspot state Victoria reported only one new infection on Thursday, a day after it lifted a four month lockdown in the city of Melbourne.

Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said that while there were three positive cases of COVID-19 detected in the past 24 hours, two may be old infections.

"This is another good day," Andrews told reporters in Melbourne.

Victoria, which accounts for more than 90% of the 905 deaths nationally, did not record any new deaths from the virus in the past 24 hours.

Melbourne, a city of some five million people, on Wednesday emerged from a stringent lockdown credited with ending a COVID second wave, allowing restaurants, cafes and shops to reopen. [nL1N2HJ04R]

Australia's most populous state New South Wales said it detected three locally acquired infections in the past 24 hours.

Australia has recorded just over 27,500 novel coronavirus infections, far fewer than many other developed countries.

(Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Michael Perry)