- A staggering 428 new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Victoria in the last 24 hours, smashing previous daily records
- Another three Victorians also died overnight after contracting the coronavirus, bringing the state’s total death toll to 32
- Health authorities warned unless these daily case numbers reduce, more deaths were inevitable
- Meanwhile, NSW has introduced new restriction for indoor gatherings, following a spike in COVID-19 cases in the state
Another 428 new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Victoria in the last 24 hours, as well as three more deaths in the state.
The huge increase in daily cases, the worst ever recorded in Victoria, have been labelled ‘disappointing and concerning’ by the state’s Chief Health Officer.
Brett Sutton warned unless the state’s daily case numbers began to drop, more COVID-19 related deaths were inevitable.
“Tragically there will be several who require intensive care support and a number of people will die,” he said.
The latest deaths from the virus include a man in his 80s, a man in his 70s, and a woman in her 80s, all of whom passed away overnight.
Case breakdown
More than 24,000 COVID-19 tests were conducted across Victoria yesterday, meaning 1.7 per cent of all testing conducted resulted in a positive result.
Currently, there are 122 people in hospitals across the state with the virus, with 31 of those in intensive care, fighting for life.
While of today’s 428 new cases, five are linked to regional Victoria, prompting the Premier to call for rural residents to start wearing masks when out in public.
Melbournians have also been advised to don masks when leaving their homes, in a bid to stop the spread of the deadly virus.
Residents in the Victorian capital city have also had their lockdown restrictions extended slightly, with those caught exercising outside of their suburb to be fined up to $1,600.
NSW precautionary act
After witnessing a slight increase in COVID-19 cases recently, NSW officials today announced they’re taking pre-emptive action and tightening restrictions on indoor gatherings.
Amongst the changes, are the number of group bookings allowed at restaurants and cafes, down from 20 people to 10.
Weddings and corporate events will be capped at 150 people, while funerals and church services will be capped at 100 people.
All of these new rules will come in to effect next week, and health officials have also asked residents to limit the number of people they invite to their homes.
Global catastrophe
While the surge in Victoria is concerning, globally Australia’s cases are a drop in the water compared to the U.S.
71,135 new cases were recorded in the country yesterday – beating the country’s previous daily record of 67,791 new cases earlier this week.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in the country now totals more than 3.5 million, with current trends showing that number is almost guaranteed to increase.