The state has recorded its deadliest day since the start of the pandemic with seven new deaths on Friday, with five of those aged care residents.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed the news yesterday, saying the victims were two men and two women aged in their 80s and two men and one woman aged in their 90s.
While the homes linked to the deaths have yet to be disclosed, the deaths bring the state’s COVID-19 toll to 56.
The number of confirmed cases in Victoria’s aged care homes has also grown with:
- 73 cases linked to St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Fawkner (no change from the previous day)
- 68 cases linked to Estia Health in Ardeer (up one from the previous day)
- 37 cases linked to Arcare Aged Care in Craigieburn (up four from the previous day)
- 35 cases linked to Estia Health in Heidelberg (up one from the previous day)
- 44 cases linked to Glendale Aged Care facility in Werribee (up seven from Wednesday)
- 20 cases linked to Regis Aged Care in Brighton
- 11 cases linked to Respite Services Australia in Moonee Ponds
- 20 cases linked to Regis Aged Care in Brighton (up from 10 the previous day)
Cases have also been linked to five new aged care homes: Outlook Gardens aged care home in Dandenong North; BlueCross’s Riverlea home in Avondale Heights; VMCH’s St Bernadette’s Aged Care Residence in Sunshine North (which we reported on yesterday); Fronditha Care’s home in St Albans; and Japara Yarra West home in Yarraville.
In total, Victoria reported 300 new cases on Friday, down from 403 new cases reported on Thursday.
But Mr Andrews cautioned against reading too far into the decline in cases, saying no one should be, “trying to provide definitive commentary that we’ve turned corners or we’re at a peak or any of that”.
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton also predicted that with hundreds of new cases daily, they expect a number of people to die in the next two weeks including more aged care residents.
“I’m afraid we will see that; I expect that to occur,” he said. “It’s very tragic. And it is focused in those who are most vulnerable.”
