Nov 23 (Reuters) - Australian shares were set to open higher on Monday as states eased COVID-19 restrictions and some internal borders reopened over the weekend amid a sharp slowdown in new infections.
A vast majority of the country has reported no community infections or deaths for weeks, while broader sentiment teeters between a resurgence of the virus in the United States and hopes for a vaccine around the corner. local share price index futures YAPcm1 rose 0.5% or 34 points, a 28.8-point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO close. The benchmark fell 0.1% on Friday.
New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index .NZ50 rose 0.4% to 12,491.95 at 2118 GMT.