Sydney, Oct 31 (IANS): Australia's state of Victoria on Sunday officially passed the milestone of 80 per cent of the population above 16 years having been fully vaccinated, as daily case numbers in the state continued to drop.

Victoria reported 1,036 new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 and 12 deaths in the 24 hours to midnight Saturday, an encouraging drop from 1,355 new cases reported on Saturday and 1,656 on Friday.

Currently 702 Covid-19 patients in the state are in hospital, with 128 in intensive care and 80 requiring ventilation, Xinhua news agency reported.

The state's death toll in its latest outbreak is 305.

Meanwhile, the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) recorded 177 new locally acquired cases and one death in the 24 hours to 8:00 p.m. Saturday night.

Authorities have expressed optimism that the state's high vaccination rate has effectively kept case numbers and hospitalizations low.

"Our vaccination rate has been the key to our freedom. We've opened up and as we've opened up, we have been able to do so

safely," said NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, adding that the cases and hospitalization numbers are both below expectations.

The latest data showed that 93.5 per cent of NSW's above16 years' population have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 87.5 per cent have been fully vaccinated.