Australia today announced a record daily spike of 25 deaths from coronavirus, all in Victoria where Melbourne is entering its third week.
The 25 new deaths over the past Wednesday were 21, bringing the total from Australia from 396 to 421.
The Australian chief medical officer warned today that ‘it is entirely possible’ that the record will be broken if the outbreak in Victoria continues.
However, the state saw only 282 new cases of nearly 16,000 test results in the last 24 hours, down from the peak of more than 600 in late July and early August.
Australia recorded a record 25 deaths today, all in Victoria, taking the country’s total from 396 to 421
This chart shows daily cases in Australia, with Victoria accounting for the majority of new cases today, but figures fall from their peak in late July and early August
Melbourne has been under the most expensive Stage 4 restrictions since August 2, with a starting point instead of 8am to 5pm.
Even outside of those hours, people can leave their homes only for limited reasons, including exercises and shopping for essentials.
Outside central Melbourne there is no starting point, but people are still expected to stay at home as much as possible.
The border between Victoria and New South Wales has been closed since July 8, while only essential travelers are allowed to enter Victoria from South Australia.
Speaking today, Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth said the severe restrictions were needed to ‘bring the outbreak of the community under control’.
He warned that although cases of their peak have fallen, the time lag between infection and death means that deaths may continue to increase.
“One of the things about this miserable virus is that it seems to reduce people to around the seven to 14-day mark,” he said.
‘And that’s an indicator that your serious illness about one to two weeks after your community numbers will pick up, will pick up.
‘That it is quite possible that we will see more deaths from Covid-19 in Victoria and that daily number could be more than 25.
‘I think we just have to keep in mind that when we talk about these numbers, there are family and friends every day who are grieving over the loss of a loved one because of Covid-19 and that is exactly the reason we have to go through the Stage 4 restrictions, bring the outbreak of the community under control.
‘And of course, the number of badly affected Australians and Australians dying from Covid-19 will follow [the trend in cases] and go in the right direction. ‘
A resident of care home Hambleton House is today being transported in a patient transport by health care workers in Melbourne
Of the 25 new deaths in Victoria, 22 have been ‘linked to known outbreaks in elderly care facilities’, the state government says.
Seven of the last victims are people in their 90s, while another 10 people are between 80 and 89.
After crushing its first wave of disease, Australia saw its daily business totals fall in single digits in May and June, before rising to July and August.
While the numbers are still low compared to most developed countries, the second wave has forced drastic new restrictions and created hopes of setting up a ‘travel block’ with New Zealand.
Victoria alone registered nearly 470 new cases on August 4, but daily figures have been steadily declining since then.
State Prime Minister Daniel Andrews says he feels ‘cautious optimism’ that strict austerity measures in Melbourne are starting to flatten.
“I am and always have been very cautious, but there is at least a cautious optimism on my part and a sense of genuine hope that this strategy is working and that we are now seeing numbers fall,” he said.
There are currently 657 people in hospital in Victoria after being infected with coronavirus, of which 44 are in intensive care.
Victoria has seen 17,028 cases and 334 deaths in total, accounting for almost 80 per cent of Australia’s total 421 deaths.
New South Wales – which includes Sydney – has seen 52 deaths, with 13 in Tasmania and only a handful elsewhere.
A report in New South Wales found that authorities made ‘unforgettable’ mistakes by leaving sick passengers in the Ruby Princess (pictured)
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of New South Wales today apologized for not preventing an outbreak linked to a cruise ship in March.
A public inquiry found that NSW authorities made ‘unforgettable’ mistakes by leaving 2700 passengers leaving the Ruby Princess on March 19 when about 120 of them felt unwell.
The study found that 914 infections could be traced back to the Ruby Princess, mostly among passengers. The outbreak left 28 dead.
“The lessons were not learned quickly enough and again I apologize indefinitely to all those individuals and agencies who made those mistakes,” State President Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.
Berejiklian asked her in particular about the 62 people who carried the virus from a passenger.
“I can not imagine what it would be like to have a loved one or to be someone who continues to suffer and experience trauma as a result,” she said.
The investigation commissioned by the Berejiklian government found that NSW health officials did not ensure that sick passengers were isolated in their toilets.
They also failed to get quick test results for unmarked passengers before leaving.
New South Wales reported seven new cases on Monday, while South Australia added one, bringing the country’s total to 290 from Victoria’s 282.
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