Victoria reported 15 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, taking the state’s total number of active cases to 544.
Just over half (284) of these cases have been linked to aged care outbreaks.
Encouragingly the state’s 14-day rolling average of new cases continued to dip, down to 29.4 in metropolitan Melbourne and 1.1 in regional Victoria.
Sadly, there were five deaths, including a man in his 70s, two women in their 80s, a man in his 90s and a woman in her 100s – all of these have been linked to aged care.
The state’s death toll is now 771, including 609 (78%) aged care deaths.
The major aged care outbreaks included:
- 256 cases linked to BaptCare Wyndham Lodge Community in Werribee (1 new case since Tuesday)
- 219 cases linked to Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping (no new cases since Thursday last week)
- 216 cases linked to St Basil’s Homes for the Aged (no new cases since Tuesday)
- 166 cases linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Ardeer (no new cases since Monday last week)
- 140 cases linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth (no new cases since Thursday last week)
- 131 cases have been linked to BlueCross Ruckers Hill Aged Care Facility in Northcote (no new cases since Tuesday)
- 128 cases linked to Twin Parks Aged Care in Reservoir (no new cases since Thursday last week)
- 124 cases linked to Cumberland Manor Aged Care Facility in Sunshine North (no new cases since Monday last week)
- 122 cases linked to Japara Goonawarra Aged Care Facility in Sunbury (no new cases since Tuesday)
There are currently 75 Victorians in hospital with COVID, including eight in ICU and six on a ventilator.
Light around the corner for Melbourne?
Premier Daniel Andrews hinted at the possible lifting of some restrictions on Sunday in his daily press briefing.
“The band we’re chasing is 30 to 50 and right now we are in that... We are, in fact, better than that, just under 30. The key point is we’ve still got a few days to go and we’ve got to refine things and make sure that we’re confident that the numbers we’re getting is an accurate reflection of how much virus is out there,” he said.
“But these numbers are a positive trend. The trend is with us, the strategy is working and that’s why it’s so important that we stay the course and move through each of these safe and steady steps and not rush to do too much too soon. Otherwise all the hard work of Victorians won’t count for much.”
