Victoria Staying The Course Despite Cases Rising

Victoria reported a rise in Covid cases on Friday with 1362 new infections and sadly seven more lives lost to Covid-related deaths. 

There are 10,887 active coronavirus cases, with increased hospitalisations recording 308 people in hospital, while 46 of those are in ICU and 26 are on ventilators.

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Another 53 people are in intensive care with Covid, but the health Department have confirmed their infections are no longer considered active.

The new cases were detected from a staggering 73, 419 swabs collected on Thursday, while 4,815 vaccine doses were administered at state-run hubs, with more at GP clinics and pharmacies.

As of Friday morning, more than 90 per cent of Victorians aged over 12 are now fully vaccinated.

Meantime, as the state's infections ebb and flow either side of 1000 cases a day, health authorities say Victoria's numbers have plateaued and are in line with expectations.

Deakin University Chair of Epidemiology Prof Catherine Bennett told the Herald Sun that Victoria's numbers remain higher than NSW because the peak of the outbreak was greater.

“Victoria’s outbreak actually started four weeks later,” she confirmed.

“So, if you line up the outbreaks, and have day one as the first community cases, Victoria’s cases took off faster and higher"

Keeping case numbers in perspective, Prof Bennett said that Victoria was reporting 1600 cases as vaccination rates hit 80 per cent, while NSW cases were averaging 350, when they clocked the 80 per cent double dose milestone. 

“The trend is the same and the reproductive numbers look very similar,” she said.

However, Prof Bennett did warn that Victorian’s do have to be “more careful” and remain vigilant.

“Hopefully as the weather improves, and people are outdoors, kids are out of school … all those things slow it down a bit further as well.”

The coming week will deliver critical information as to "what’s happening with the trends,” she said.

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