The toll takes the country's total fatalities from the novel coronavirus to 190, more than half of which have occurred in Victoria, the second-most populous state, and its capital Melbourne, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
Australia had prided itself on rapidly containing the initial COVID-19 outbreak but a second wave which began in Victoria last month has forced Melbourne back into lockdown and sparked outbreaks in other areas including Sydney.
"We've now been in this lockdown (in Melbourne) for some weeks and we are not getting the results we would hope for, and as a result the further measures that are taken are certainly necessary," Morrison told reporters, backing the restrictions announced by the Victorian government."On some days the virus wins, on other days we beat it. But I think we've got to be careful not to slip into some idea that there's some golden immunity that Australia has in relation to this virus."