UPDATE 1-Coronavirus infections stabilise in Australia's Victoria state

(Adds details on efforts to slow spread of the virus)

SYDNEY, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Australia's second-most populous state reported a small rise in new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, boosting hopes that case numbers are stabilising after a second wave forced authorities to send the city of Melbourne back into lockdown.

Victoria state detected 331 new COVID-19 infections and 19 deaths in the past 24 hours, compared with 322 infections and the same number of fatalities a day earlier, health officials said.

Daily infections in Victoria peaked at 725 on Aug. 5 and have been trending lower in recent days, following the imposition of a hard lockdown in Melbourne on July 19.

Nationally, Australia has detected about 22,000 infections and 332 deaths from COVID-19, far fewer than many other developed nations.

Outside the two largest states of Victoria and New South Wales, the virus has been effectively eliminated. (Reporting by Renju Jose and Colin Packham; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Stephen Coates)