COVID-19 cases in Australia's second biggest state hits 13-month high

Australia's second most populous state on Saturday reported the biggest one-day rise in locally acquired COVID-19 cases in more than a year.

Victoria state said it had detected 450 locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the biggest one-day rise since Aug. 8, 2020.

The surge in new cases comes as Australia struggles to contain the highly infectious Delta variant that threatens to push the country's economy into its second recession in as many years.