SYDNEY - For the first time in more than four months, the Australian state of Victoria recorded a day without new local Covid-19 infections on Tuesday (Oct 20).

Reaching this milestone, the state of about 6.7 million residents appears to have brought its second wave of cases to an end, becoming one of the world's most successful governments at doing so.

In early August, new daily coronavirus cases peaked at 687 following an outbreak that is believed to have originated with security guards who became infected while working at quarantine hotels.

But Victoria's measures to curb the outbreak proved to be controversial.

The State Government placed its capital city Melbourne under strict lockdown, closing schools and many businesses. A nightly curfew was imposed, which ended last month.

Stringent measures remain in place, even though new cases of infection have averaged three per day over the last week.

The Government eased restrictions from the start of this week, but dining at cafes and restaurants and working at offices is still prohibited. Most retail stores are closed, Melbourne residents cannot leave the city and gatherings are limited to 10 people. These restrictions are due to be further eased from Nov 2, as long as case numbers remain low.

Victoria's Premier, Mr Daniel Andrews, has come under heavy pressure over his cautious approach. He struck his usual workmanlike tone on Tuesday, as he revealed that the state appeared to have recorded no new cases overnight. One person had tested positive, he said, but had also tested positive in July and may have been "shedding" the original infection.

"This could potentially be a day of zero (new cases) and it's been a long time since we had a day of zero," Mr Andrews told reporters.

"It's a testament to the hard work of every single Victorian in the city, in the suburbs, in regional communities, large and small."

The state's second wave appears to have taken a personal toll on Mr Andrews, particularly as he and his government have been heavily blamed for the hotel quarantine breaches and for inadequate contact tracing.

As a result, Mr Andrews has seemed determined to completely crush the virus and to avoid any risk of its return.

But he is facing intense and growing criticism over his refusal to swiftly reopen the economy.

The Federal Treasurer, Mr Josh Frydenberg, launched a savage attack on Mr Andrews this week, accusing him of "unforgivable" stubbornness.

Mr Frydenberg, who lives in Melbourne, said Victoria made up 26 per cent of Australia's population, but accounted for 40 per cent of the nation's unemployed workers.

"There's been a callous indifference by the Victorian government to the loss of jobs in the state and the plight of small business,'' Mr Frydenberg said in a video he posted online.

"More than 1,000 Victorians have lost their job every day as a result of the lockdown... The bloody-mindedness is unforgivable."

Business groups have also attacked Mr Andrews, saying the easing of restrictions had been too slow.

In a joint letter to Mr Andrews, the heads of seven major Australian firms, including BHP and the Commonwealth Bank, urged him to expedite opening the economy.

"We urge you now, in light of the excellent recent progress, to permit the careful and staged return to the workplace of office workers and the small businesses that provide services to them," said the letter, according to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday.

But Mr Andrews appears to have the public on his side. An opinion poll in The Australian late last month found 62 per cent of Victorians believed the Premier had handled the crisis well, 34 per cent thought he had handled it badly and the remainder were uncommitted.

Mr Andrews continues to defiantly stand by his approach. On Monday, he attacked Mr Frydenberg for "(playing) politics in the midst of a global pandemic".

"Victorians want their family protected, they want their health issues dealt with so we can open up," he said.