CANBERRA, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Australia's coronavirus death toll has grown to 113 after another two deaths in Victoria.
Authorities in Victoria on Thursday confirmed the deaths of two men in their 80s since Wednesday, taking the state's death toll to 29 including five since Monday.
As at 3 p.m. on Thursday, a total of 10,810 cases have been reported in Australia, and 8,036 have been reported as recovered from COVID-19, according to the latest figures from Department of Health. The department also said that the number of new cases in last 24 hours is 330.
Victoria has broken its daily increase record with 317 new cases. However, 15 previously diagnosed cases have been reclassified, resulting in a net increase of 302.
"Within Victoria, 28 of the new cases are linked to outbreaks and 289 are under investigation," said a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services in Victoria on Thursday.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) on Thursday published a study that found that testing wastewater systems of long-haul planes and cruise ships on arrival in Australia can detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in incoming international arrivals.
Karen Andrews, the minister for industry, science and technology, said that the finding was another important step in efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
"Our science and research communities are among our greatest assets in our efforts to not only overcome this pandemic, but also to assist in the economic recovery from COVID-19," she said in a media release.
"The ability to test wastewater from planes and cruise ships is another piece of the puzzle as we look to the future of travel and keeping Australians safe."
Simon Birmingham, the minister for trade, tourism and investment, have previously warned that Australia's international borders are unlikely to re-open 2020 because of the pandemic.
Larry Marshall, the chief executive of the CSIRO, said that pinpointing COVID-19 in arrivals would help keep Australians safe when international travel resumes.
"Responding to a pandemic is not just about the race for a vaccine, Australian science is supporting our economic recovery by delivering for partners like Qantas," he said.
"Our relationship with air travel goes back to the 60s, and today our unique coatings already protect aircraft, so it's great to be trusted to keep Australia flying while helping to stay ahead of any potential new outbreaks."
It comes after the CSIRO in June announced that it had made a breakthrough in tracing COVID-19 in wastewater.
The breakthrough enabled authorities to test for the presence of COVID-19 carriers in a community regardless of whether they are showing symptoms or not.
Warish Ahmed, a CSIRO researcher, said that testing for the virus in wastewater from planes and ships could be used in addition to clinical testing.
"The study indicates that surveillance of wastewater from large transport vessels with their own sanitation systems has potential as a parallel data source to prioritise clinical testing among disembarking passengers," he said on Thursday. Enditem
