Victoria confirmed 37 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, the lowest figure since 26 June when there were 30 cases. It is the ninth consecutive day when cases have been below 100. There were six deaths, including two females and a male in their 80s, two females and a male in their 90s and all those deaths are linked to an aged care outbreak.

Despite the improved figures, Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews said the curfew would continued. “I’m not going to ask police to spend hundreds and hundreds of hours clearing out McDonald’s car parks in the suburbs with pop-up gatherings, illegal house parties and the list goes on and on,” he said.

“It is about giving police the easiest set of rules to enforce, and it is about making sure that the police are not having to waste their precious time dealing with things that shouldn’t be happening and can easily be prevented, by putting a curfew in.”

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Premier Andrews announced that beauty services could open as early as 26 October instead of 23 November when the sector was pegged to reopen. Contactless services will open from 29 September, with customers allowed to drop their pets off at the venue.

“Beauty and personal services where a mask can be worn for the entire time the person is getting of the services that they are accessing, will be able to proceed in the third step, alongside hairdressers,” Mr Andrews said.