SYDNEY, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- The government of Australian state of Victoria announced on Tuesday new public health laws to replace emergency powers which were put into place at the beginning of the pandemic.
Under the new laws, the state's chief health officer would no longer have the final say on Victorian public health orders.
Furthermore, the laws would introduce a tiered system for fines to those in breach of public health orders to reduce the burden on disadvantaged citizens.
"We have learned over the course of the past 21 months that these powers impact on all sorts of aspects of our community and our well-being and our economy and our mental health and business and community," Said Victorian health minister Martin Foley.
Victoria exited its sixth lockdown on Oct. 22 as it reached a full vaccination rate of 70 percent.
In the 24 hours to midnight Monday, Victoria recorded 1,510 new locally acquired cases. However, the number of active cases dropped to 24,715 from 24, 831 reported on Monday.
The state also recorded four additional deaths in the same period, bringing the state's total death toll in the latest outbreak to 234.
Currently 75 percent of the state's adult population have been fully vaccinated.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews called for citizens to come forward and receive their second dose of the vaccine.
He noted that 87 percent of people in hospital, and 96 percent of the people in intensive care in the state had not been fully vaccinated.
In the state of New South Wales, since it opened just over two weeks ago, cases have remained relatively low.
In the 24 hours to 8:00 p.m. Monday night, the state recorded 282 new local cases and one death.
In the state 93.1 percent of adults have received at least one dose, and 85 percent have been fully vaccinated. Enditem