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Victoria recorded 1,143 new Covid-19 cases and three deaths overnight, with the increase in cases raising concerns that the reopening of the state may be delayed.
The new cases come after the state on Thursday reported a pandemic record of 1,438 infections – the largest one-day jump on record in Victoria.
The grim numbers worry residents as Prime Minister Daniel Andrews will have to revise his road map to freedom and even extend the lockdown until the numbers decline.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Mr Andrews remained committed to reopening the state as soon as possible by October 26.
“Yesterday’s cases surprised a lot of people,” Andrews said at a press conference on Friday.
Victoria recorded 1,143 new cases of Covid-19 and three deaths overnight, with increasing cases raising concerns that reopening of the state may be delayed
Victoria’s Covid-19 outbreak continues to rise (pictured, health workers at a vaccination center in Melbourne)
“A lot of people would have been very worried, scared to see even such a high number.
“Today it is obviously less than that and we are delighted, although we should not underestimate the challenge of 1,143 Covid patients.”
There have been 34,935 vaccines administered and 62,883 Covid-19 tests performed in the past 24 hours.
Authorized workers should receive the first dose of their vaccine by October 15. They should then have received their second dose by November 26.
“It is extremely important to reduce the number of cases so that we can open on October 16, regain our freedom, revive the economy and implement the national plan,” said Andrews.
“By law, they will need to be vaccinated with at least one dose.”
The record number of cases in Victoria was almost equal to the peak in NSW, which was 1,599 new cases of Covid-19 on September 11.
The sharp increase in the number of cases – a 51% increase in one day – is in line with forecasts that the state could reach 3,000 cases per day by the end of October.
Almost 79% of Victorians have received a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, while more than 48% are fully vaccinated.
The astronomical spike in cases was blamed on illegal AFL gatherings over the weekend with warnings from a doctor that the number of cases could reach 6,000 per day.
Melbourne GP Mukesh Haikerwal warned the number of cases “will double and double again”.
The sharp increase in the number of cases – a 51% increase in one day – is in line with forecasts that the state could reach 3,000 cases per day by the end of October
Melbourne Mayor Sally Capp said it would be ‘devastating’ if plans to reopen the state were delayed
“I’ll say it again,†he told the Today Show on Friday. “They will probably double and double again.”
Melbourne Mayor Sally Capp said it would be “devastating” if plans to reopen the state were delayed.
“For the rules to change at this point would be devastating for so many people,†Ms. Capp said.
“They really want to know that if we do the right thing and if we follow the restrictions, if we get vaccinated, we can still open.”
The announcement comes as overcrowded Victoria hospitals turn into ‘doomsday war zones’ as Delta’s epidemic threatens to overwhelm its healthcare system.
An unnamed official said state watchdog Safer Care Victoria has urged the state government to prepare for a Covid-related increase in its hospitals when lockdowns are relaxed.
“Basically they told us to prepare ourselves psychologically because most of Victoria’s are going to think ‘this is awesome’ … as a healthcare worker it will look like a war zone,” the official said. . Age.
The announcement comes as overcrowded Victoria hospitals turn into ‘doomsday war zones’ as Delta’s outbreak threatens to overwhelm its healthcare system (pictured, ambulances line up outside a Melbourne hospital)
Almost 79% of Victorians have received a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, while more than 48% are fully vaccinated
“I just can’t figure it out. Some of Melbourne’s hospitals are already doomsday.
The Victorian President of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Roderick McRae, said Thursday morning that hospitals in the state were now in crisis mode.
As of Wednesday, there were 371 Covid-19 patients in hospitals in Victoria, including 81 in intensive care.
“Everyone, at every stage of the Victorian healthcare system, uses the word ‘crisis’,” he told the Today spectacle.
“The system is under extreme pressure and it is due to decades of underinvestment.”
He said the already long wait times for ambulances and emergency rooms in Victoria would be further worsened by rising Covid-19 admissions when the state begins to open up to a vaccination rate at double dose of 70%.
“Think about your tub – the hose is clogged and we’re always adding more water and when we open it’s like we’re also looking to jump in and expect the floor to stay dry,†said Dr. McRae.
People are seen exercising along the Tan Walking Track in Melbourne on Sunday, September 19. Victoria recorded 950 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases on Wednesday.
“We knew this was going to happen when we finally opened up. Why was the system not better prepared? We had time.
Professor Catherine Bennett, president of epidemiology at Deakin University, predicted on Wednesday that the epidemic was still a month away from the peak before infections began to decline in late October.
Professor Peter Collignon told the Sun Herald that the forecast of 3,000 cases per day in the coming weeks is “a little too pessimistic”.
The Victorian President of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Roderick McRae, said Thursday morning that hospitals in the state were now in crisis mode.
He said the forecast did not take into account the fact that Australia was heading for warmer weather – when respiratory disease eased – and vaccination rates were rising steadily.
He said the forecast did not take into account the fact that Australia was heading for warmer weather – when respiratory disease eased – and vaccination rates were rising steadily.
Victorian-era interim health chief Ben Cowie said on Wednesday the state’s epidemic was likely still far from peaking.
“We know from both the modeling and the experience in New South Wales that our number of cases will continue to increase,” he said.
“But it is absolutely in our power to slow the spread and prevent thousands of cases and hundreds of people from becoming seriously ill and some people losing their lives.”
Meanwhile, Victoria has opened the door for stranded residents in Sydney to return home after the state building union headquarters was officially listed as a high profile Covid-19 exhibition site.
Starting Thursday, Victorian residents in extreme risk areas such as Greater Sydney can apply for a permit if they are fully vaccinated, test negative within 72 hours of departure and self-isolate at home for 14 days.
A healthcare worker talks to a patient before administering a Covid-19 test at a facility in Ballarat in the Victoria region.
Those who have been at an exhibition site, are close contacts of a COVID-19 case or showing symptoms will be rejected, while non-Victorians are not eligible.
It comes as CFMEU headquarters in Melbourne were listed as the site of COVID-19 exposure on Wednesday, a week after it was the scene of anti-vaccination protests.
The Elizabeth Street office was designated by the Department of Health as a top-level site for September 20, forcing staff and union officials into isolation for two weeks.
The exterior of the building has also been classified as a level two venue, with protesters being asked to get tested and self-isolate until they test negative.
So far, four positive cases have been linked to the office, and CFMEU Secretary of State John Setka has blamed the “disgusting behavior of selfish and reckless protesters” for the outbreak.
Some of the roughly 500 protesters threw bottles at Mr Setka and smashed the office door on September 20, triggering days of protests that resulted in crowds invading the West Gate Bridge and the Shrine of Remembrance.
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