New Zealand's Auckland city will end its three-day lockdown midnight Wednesday despite new community transmissions and Australia's Victoria state will ease restrictions, too.

Relief In Victoria After Five-Day Lockdown

Victoria will ease restrictions after no new COVID-19 cases were reported on the last day of the government-imposed five-day lockdown.

Some rules will be retained, Premier Daniel said during a news briefing Wednesday.

While workers will be allowed to return to offices in both private and public sectors up to 50% only of staff will be allowed to return.

For visits to care facilities and hospitals, one household a day only will be permitted. Exceptions will be made for some situations but COVID-19 protocols remain in place.

Other public facilities will also be allowed to open at a 50% capacity, including art galleries and cinemas, as well as nightclubs that will be permitted to have a maximum of 50 people only on dancefloors.

For hospitality and tourism facilities, one person per two square meters will be permitted. Recreation and sports will resume as well.

Andrews said while some restrictions would remain in place as close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases in isolation must undergo a 14-day wait, the restrictions will be reviewed again Feb. 26.

Meanwhile in South Australia, Premier Steven Marshall announced it would lift border restrictions from midnight Wednesday but certain others would remain for metropolitan areas like Melbourne.

New Cases Of Community Transmission In NZ

New Zealand confirmed two new coronavirus cases Wednesday. They were local transmissions.

The siblings, who are students at a high school in south Auckland, know the student who is at the center of the latest community COVID-19 cluster in the area.

The high school now has 1,523 casual contacts and 31 close contacts. So far, around 20,000 people have been tested in Auckland since the new cluster.

News of the new local cases came hours before Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that the lockdown in Auckland would be lifted midnight Wednesday.

The announcement surprised many, who were expecting to see an extension of the lockdown as a result of the new cases. Ardern believed community coronavirus transmissions were not widespread.

Ardern said starting midnight, residents would be required to wear masks on public transportation.