There are 3,995 active cases across Victoria and 313 healthcare workers are active cases, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says.
Follow today’s events as they unfold.
Live updates
By Michael Doyle
Response centre announced to curb worsening aged care crisis in Victoria
The Commonwealth and Victorian Government will establish a response centre to coordinate efforts to curb the worsening situation in aged care facilities across the state.
Hundreds of residents and workers in aged care facilities in Victoria have tested positive to COVID-19.
It’ll be jointly managed by Emergency Management Australia, Emergency Management Victoria and Vic health.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt says the new response centre be located at the Victorian state control centre.
By Michael Doyle
Key Event
Summary of today’s Victorian press conference
The daily Victorian press conference has finished.
Here is the summary of today’s press conference:
- Victoria has recorded 357 new infections
- Five more people have lost their lives
- 20,313 tests were conducted yesterday
- There are 3,995 active cases
- 313 of these are health care workers
- 536 of these are in aged care facilities
- There are 229 Victorians in hospital
- 42 of those in hospital are receiving intensive care.
By Michael Doyle
Andrews says modelling showed thousands would have contracted virus per day without masks
Mr Andrews said if the current restrictions had not been introduced Victoria would be recording thousands, and not, hundreds of new cases per day.
“We would not be seeing these numbers, we will not be seeing hundreds, let alone 300, 350 cases a day, if people won’t doing the right thing,” he said.
“If we had not gone to stay at home orders, is regrettable and challenging as that is.
“We’ve got modelling, and it is even conservative modelling, it is thousands of cases a day.
“And that means hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people in hospital and many, many more tragedies than we are sadly having to report now.”
By Michael Doyle
Do it for our health care workers
Premier Daniel Andrews has said respect for Victoria’s healthcare workers is enough of a reason to wear a mask and following health guidelines.
“I am not really fussed what reason motivates you to do the right thing, you have just got to do the right thing,” he said.
“If for no other reason than you value (healthcare workers) and you want to honour the work that they do, follow the rules, make those small sacrifices, let’s get to the other side of this.”
By Michael Doyle
ADF are playing a very important part: Andrews
Mr Andrews has said the ADF were doing an important job, by door knocking as part of tracking confirmed cases.
“The principal reason that ADF members will be knocking on your door will be because you have got the virus and you have not picked up your phone,”
“We haven’t been able to connect with you. So that infection control is important in every setting, but the community can be absolutely assured that all of our staff are doing everything they can to keep themselves safe, keep their patients, clients, the people that they are working with safe also.
“But as Brett (Sutton) said, it is a wildly infectious disease, and if you think about the number of healthcare workers that have got that virus, which is a really significant challenge for us, some will have been contracted outside the healthcare setting.
“Others, even with the full PPE, layer upon layer, no PPE can reduce the risk to zero. But ADF are playing a really important part, and we are very grateful to them.”
By Michael Doyle
Five more dead in Victoria from COVID-19
Five more people have lost their lives in Victoria due to COVID-19.
- One woman in her 60s
- One woman in her 70s
- One woman in her 80s
- One woman in her 90s
- One man in his 80s
By Michael Doyle
Chief Medical Officer hopeful mask wearing will lead to downturn
Victoria’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Brett Sutton, has told reporters this afternoon he is hopeful universal mask use will help in the fight against the state’s se