Federal and state authorities say lower case numbers in Victoria show social distancing and staying at home can ease the spread of coronavirus and must continue.
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The national COVID-19 hot spot of Victoria recorded 177 cases on Monday - well down on the 288 recorded in a single day last week.
Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said he had a "small bit of optimism" looking at the new numbers, but he would like to see a week of low cases before declaring confidence about the direction the virus is heading.
"I'm not going to be complacent about today's number. It's great it's lower than our peak. But it may not be our peak yet," he said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged Australians to stay disciplined when it comes to protecting themselves from coronavirus.
NSW and Victoria were at a crossroads as the number of cases in both states continued to rise, he said.
"It is a reminder how important it is just to continue to observe the social distancing," Mr Morrison told 2GB on Monday.
"There's no vaccine."
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the Victorian lockdown showed Australia is one country in two stages.
"We always knew the pathway to the economic recovery would be tough," he told reporters in Melbourne.
The death of a Victorian man in his 70s took the national toll to 108 over the weekend.
"The message is the same for everybody. Do your part. Stop the spread," Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd said.
Mr Frydenberg said people would have to live with the pandemic.
"That means there are difficult, tough days ahead but we will get through this," he said.
The government will unveil a post-September round of income support later next week to help Australians through the economic fallout of the virus.
NSW has recorded 14 more cases, with nine now linked to The Crossroads Hotel on the Hume Highway in Casula, including an 18-year-old staffer.
Dr Kidd said the the number of cases related to the popular truckies' stop had gone up overnight on Monday but authorities were yet to provide a number.
"It is very important that anyone who was connected with that hotel does lockdown," he told the ABC.
"This is a really important issue for everyone across the country."
But he said freight drivers were essential to keep Australia running.
Authorities want people who visited the pub between July 3 and 10 to self-isolate and get tested.
Queensland recorded a single case, acquired overseas and in hotel quarantine.
It also emerged on Monday a staff member at a hotel in Melbourne that is housing asylum seekers tested positive to COVID-19.
The Department of Home Affairs confirmed the staff member at the Mantra Hotel in Preston tested positive for the virus on July 8.
The worker is now in self-isolation and the hotel has undergone a deep clean.
Australian Associated Press
