Covid: Melbourne and Auckland snap lockdowns to end

The Australian state of Victoria and the New Zealand city of Auckland will both exit snap lockdowns on Thursday.

Authorities in Australia said they had gained control of a hotel quarantine cluster in Melbourne, which prompted a five-day lockdown.

New Zealand will lift curbs put in place in Auckland three days ago, despite three new local cases.

Both countries, known for their strict measures, have seen relatively few deaths and cases during the pandemic.