As it happened: Victoria records 77 new COVID-19 cases as Melbourne suburbs enter lockdown; Australian death toll stands at 104

That's all for the blog today. Thanks for joining me and for sending through your comments and emails throughout the day.

Today I've racked up a half-century on the blog (51 posts if you include this one), so it might be a bit of a slog to scroll all the way down to the bottom if you are just tuning in, so here is a short summary of today's main updates:

• The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Australia have passed 8000. A total of 86 people nationwide have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 8001.
• Victoria has recorded 77 new cases, NSW has recorded eight (all travellers in hotel quarantine) and the Northern Territory one.
• Victoria has recorded its biggest single-day increase in community transmission of coronavirus since the start of the outbreak. A total of 332 infections statewide cannot be traced to a known source, 31 more than yesterday. This beats the previous record for single-day increase in community transmission, which was set yesterday when the number increased by 20.
• Of Victoria's 77 new cases, many are in known virus hotspots, the state's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has said.
• Lockdowns have commenced in 10 Melbourne postcodes where there has been a disproportionate increase in coronavirus cases in recent days. Until July 29, residents of the areas, who make up about 5 per cent of the state's population, have been told they can only leave their homes to buy groceries, to get exercise, to provide care or to go to work or study. Police patrols have been set up in the areas and on-the-spot fines will be issued to those flouting the tightened restrictions.
• A woman from Melbourne who was awaiting COVID-19 test results has tried to enter New South Wales by train.
• Five people from Melbourne coronavirus hotspots have tried to fly to Sydney, despite Melburnians from hotspot suburbs having been banned from entering New South Wales.
• The Northern Territory has recorded its first coronavirus case for almost three months, with a Darwin man who had recently visited family in Melbourne testing positive for COVID-19.
• Supermarket giant Coles has been forced to impose additional product limits on a range of chilled and frozen goods in its Victorian and Tasmanian stores after a coronavirus outbreak at its Laverton distribution centre.
• New Zealand's Health Minister David Clark has resigned following recent slip-ups in the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• And, finally, something a bit more light-hearted: a live BBC interview on England's coronavirus lockdown was interrupted when the interviewee's daughter walked into frame.

The blog will be back from 8am tomorrow morning.