- A man in his 80s has died from coronavirus overnight in Victoria, the first death to be recorded from the disease in Australia in more than a month
- The death brings Australia’s total death toll from COVID-19 to 103, with 20 new cases also recorded in Victoria
- The state is grappling with an increase in COVID-19 infections over the past week, and has had to re-introduce lockdowns
An elderly man has died of coronavirus in hospital in Victoria, the first death to be recorded in Australia in over a month.
Victorian officials announced the news today, stating a man in his 80s passed away from the infection on Tuesday night.
“Sadly, a man in his 80s has died overnight of infection, which brings the total number of deaths in Victoria to 20,” said Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.
Across Australia, the number of people who have died after contracting COVID-19 now sits at 103.
Along with the death, Victoria continues to be a hotspot for new infections, with 20 new coronavirus cases recorded in the state today.
Of those, seven are linked to known outbreaks, one has been detected in hotel quarantine, and nine are through routine testing. The other three cases are under investigation by authorities.
Lockdown measures reintroduced
In light of the recent surge, the Victorian Government has reimposed strict lockdown conditions.
Residents are no longer able to have 20 people visit their home, with that number brought back down to five. Meanwhile, outdoor gatherings are now limited to 10 people.
It comes after reports the wave of new infections was due in part to large family gatherings being held in the state.
Six local government areas in Victoria have been labelled hotspots, including Brimbank, Moreland, Darebin, Hume, Casey and Cardinia.
In the meantime, supermarkets in the state have had to reintroduce limits on popular items, after a surge in demand linked to COVID-19.
Amongst the items in hot demand were the usual culprits, toilet paper, hand sanitiser and pasta.