Australia to extend COVID-19 lockdown in Victoria amid Delta outbreak

FILE PHOTO: A pigeon walks down the aisle of a light rail tram devoid of passengers at Circular Quay during a lockdown to curb the spread of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Sydney, Australia, July 12, 2021. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo/File Photo

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australian authorities on Monday said Victoria state will extend a COVID-19 lockdown beyond Tuesday despite a slight drop in new infections as the country's two biggest cities fight to stop the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant.

Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said lockdown rules would not be lifted as cases were still being detected in the community, promising more details would be provided on Tuesday.