Victoria travel restrictions scrapped as state records no new Covid cases for nine days

Daniel Andrews announces an easing of a range of restrictions but says mask rules must remain in place

Daniel Andrews has announced the so-called ring of steel" separating metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria will be scrapped along with travel restrictions for city residents, as the state recorded no new cases of Covid-19 and no deaths for the ninth day in a row.

Declaring it a day to be optimistic", the Victorian premier said on Sunday that the state would take the next step in easing longstanding coronavirus restrictions by removing the checkpoints between Melbourne and the rest of the state from midnight.