Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed 148 new cases of COVID-19 in Victoria, in his daily press briefing yesterday.
While this is a slight increase on Monday’s total of 116 new cases, it brings the seven-day average number of new cases below 200 for the first time in more than a month.
Victoria has eight new deaths, with seven linked to aged care.
This includes two men in their 70s, four women and one man in their 80s and one woman in her 90s.
Victoria now has 3,651 active cases, with 1,530 in aged care settings.
This is down 50% in a week.
Last Wednesday they had 7,274 active cases with 2,024 linked to aged care.
The major outbreaks in Victoria are:
- 211 cases linked to Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping (no new cases since Monday)
- 195 cases linked to St Basil’s Home for the Aged in Fawkner (no new cases since Monday)
- 166 cases linked to BaptCare Wyndham Lodge Community in Werribee (6 new cases since Monday)
- 159 cases linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Ardeer (no new cases since Monday)
- 138 cases linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth (no new cases since Monday)
- 120 cases linked to Cumberland Manor Aged Care Facility in Sunshine North (1 new case since Monday)
- 118 cases since to Twin Parks Aged Care in Reservoir (no new cases since Monday)
- 113 cases linked to Outlook Gardens Aged Care Facility in Dandenong North (1 less case since Monday)
- 110 cases have been linked to Japara Goonawarra Aged Care Facility in Sunbury (no new cases since Monday)
- 109 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Heidelberg (no new cases since Monday)
Victoria has 617 patients in hospital with 19 currently on ventilators.
Combination of factors driving spread of infection at facilities
Victoria’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Andrew Wilson also fronted the briefing, saying factors like staff movement, inadequate training and PPE storing practices have driven spikes in infections.
Professor Wilson was asked if this made hospitals and aged care centres unsafe places to work.
“They're safe to work at. There is a lot of staff. The great majority of staff are going to work and caring for patients and they're not getting infected and they're safe. But clearly, as we know with this virus, it onto needs a very small window to get into a place and cause an outbreak,” he said.
