Victoria records 1750 cases, nine deaths

VICTORIA has added a further one-thousand-seven-hundred-and-fifty new infections to its COVID-19 caseload, all but two of them locally-acquired.

The state has also recorded nine more deaths on Saturday. They include a man in his 60s, three women and two men in their 70s, a woman in her 80s and two women in their 90s.

Victoria is managing more than 23,000 active cases.

Some 770 patients are in hospital, slightly down on the state’s seven-day average of 790. Of those, 144 are in intensive care and 90 require ventilation.

COVID-19 Response Commander Jeroen Weimar says about 86 per cent of those in hospital have not been fully vaccinated. Of those in ICUs, 93 per cent are yet to receive two doses.

Testers had processed more than 72,000 results across the state in the 24 hours to Friday evening and more than 39,000 vaccine doses had been administered, he told reporters on Saturday.

Mr Weimar said although those not fully immunised continued to make up the bulk of hospital admissions, Victoria remained on track to hit 80 per cent full vaccination next week.

With more than 72 per cent of residents aged 16 or over fully jabbed, he said the numbers were encouraging but cautioned the state was not yet in the clear.

“Let’s not slack off, let’s increase the pace as we get to the 80 per cent milestone but also the 90 per cent vaccination milestone,” he said.

“As we start to open up and socialise more and do all those wonderful things that are now possible again, remember if you have any symptoms, whether you are vaccinated or not, make sure you’re tested and that’s the best way you can keep protecting yourself and those around you.”

More eased restrictions are on the way for Melburnians after they celebrated their first day out of lockdown on Friday.

Premier Daniel Andrews has promised to hold a press conference “quite soon to clarify what we hope can happen at the end of next week”.

“We will deliver faithfully each and every item contained within the Victorian road map to deliver the national plan and if we can go further, then, of course, we will make announcements to that effect,” he said on Friday.

The state was initially forecast to reach the 80 per cent milestone on 5 November.

Victoria recorded 2189 new cases and 16 deaths on Friday, the highest daily tally of its third wave. However Mr Weimar clarified on Saturday the number had been re-scored for a total of 2159.

The state has also announced it will scrap quarantine for fully-vaccinated travellers arriving from overseas on 1 November, bringing it into line with NSW.

 

– BY AAP