A SEVENTEEN-year-old on a ventilator is among the one hundred and ten Victorians in hospital with coronavirus.<\/p>\n
The state\u00a0has recorded 246 new COVID-19 cases, including 156 not linked to known sources.<\/p>\n
There are 1786 active cases in the state.<\/p>\n
“There’s 110 people in hospital, 30 of those are in ICU, 14 on a ventilator,” Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
“To give people a clear sense and hopefully remove any doubt this is everybody’s business, the age range of those ventilated patients is 17 years of age through to 76 years of age.”<\/p>\n
Mr Andrews said none of the hospital patients were fully vaccinated and urged Victorians to get any COVID-19 vaccine available to them.<\/p>\n
To help get more shots in more arms, the state will increase capacity, adding 40,000 vaccination appointments each week to Victorian-run hubs.<\/p>\n
More cubicles will be added to Melbourne Town Hall and Port Melbourne Town Hall.<\/p>\n
Vaccination centres will be created at Latrobe University and more cubicles added to the Melton drive-through hub.<\/p>\n
On Monday, there were 43,858 tests were processed and 32,300 Victorians received a vaccine dose at a state-run hub.<\/p>\n
A vaccination blitz of Victorian year 12 students will get under way after a dedicated hotline was flooded with calls.<\/p>\n
The state is aiming to get all year 12 students vaccinated with at least one dose before their final exams, as part of a 10-day priority access scheme.<\/p>\n
Pfizer bookings opened for year 12 students, teachers, exam supervisors and assessors on Monday, with a dedicated hotline fielding 30,000 calls before lunch.<\/p>\n
By the afternoon, the health department said more than 7000 priority bookings had been made.<\/p>\n
Melbourne will remain under tough lockdown restrictions until at least 70 per cent of eligible Victorians receive their first vaccine.<\/p>\n
The state has hit 60 per cent first dose coverage and is expected to reach the 70 per cent target by about 19 September, sooner than the Government anticipated.<\/p>\n
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– BY AAP<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n