Vic man in his 60s dies with COVID-19

A MAN in his sixties has become the latest death from Victoria’s Delta coronavirus outbreak, Premier Daniel Andrews says.

It brings the fatality toll from the latest outbreak to three, after a woman in her 40s and a woman in her 60s died in their homes on Tuesday.

“We of course offer our deepest sympathies and our best wishes to the family of that man,” Mr Andrews told reporters in Melbourne on Friday.

The man was from Altona North in Melbourne’s west.

Victoria has recorded more than 200 locally-acquired coronavirus cases for the first time since the state’s second wave, after the state recorded 208 new cases on Friday from 48,572 tests.

Mr Andrews said 6000 of those tests were conducted in Shepparton, with about half of those day-13 tests.

He said about 50,000 priority vaccine appointments will be opened up for booking for senior high school students from Monday.

Pop-up vaccine hubs are being set up at schools including Gladstone Park Secondary College and Roxburgh College.

The state has 1180 active coronavirus cases, including 1176 locally-acquired cases and four in hotel quarantine.

Only 96 of the new cases have been linked to known outbreaks, with the source of the remaining 112 infections under investigation.

It comes as hundreds of oral and allied health professionals and students have been given the green light to administer COVID-19 vaccines as the state ramps up its rollout.

The State Government has confirmed dentists, dental hygienists, physiotherapists, speech pathologists and podiatrists, as well as nursing, midwifery and pharmacy students, will be trained to prepare and administer the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines.

The emergency workforce will be able to assist at state-run hubs, as well as GPs and pharmacies while supervised by an experienced immuniser.

Earlier this week authorities abandoned the zero-case strategy, with the focus shifting to suppressing the outbreak while racing to reach higher vaccination coverage.

Most of the state’s restrictions will remain in place until at least 70 per cent of eligible Victorians are fully vaccinated, though some reprieve will be granted when 70 per cent have received their first dose.

Vaccine data forecasts the latter will happen about 19 September.

Meanwhile, playgrounds reopened on Friday morning for children aged 12 and under, with rules including QR code check-ins and mask-wearing for the one adult allowed to supervise.

The number of communities in the Victoria NSW border bubble has been reduced, with fewer permitted reasons to cross the border.

More than 33,000 vaccine doses were administered at state-run hubs on Thursday.

The Government has halved the interval between doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to six weeks.

The state’s exposure sites have risen to more than 1000, including a fertility clinic in the same building as Victorian parliament’s press gallery.

– BY AAP