Premier Daniel Andrews has warned restrictions in Victoria are likely to be extended beyond the six-week lockdown in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire, after the state recorded another 627 coronavirus cases and eight deaths overnight.
Key points:
- Health experts are doing a “deep dive” into data to determine the next steps to take
- The Premier said one in four COVID-positive Victorians who were doorknocked in the past two days were not at home
- Today’s eight deaths include two men in their 50s and four people connected to aged care
The increase in cases is the second-highest single-day increase of the pandemic and comes after a record 723 cases were recorded yesterday.
“I’ve got no announcements to make about next steps but it is important that all of us acknowledge that these numbers are still far too high and we could not open up with these numbers,” the Premier said today.
“We could not open up even with significantly less than these numbers.”
The Premier said national and Victorian health officials were doing a “detailed analysis” of what was driving the increasing cases.
“We have data that marks the halfway point of the six week [lockdown in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire],” he said.
“We have numbers that are too high, community transmission too high, and we need to do detailed analysis and potentially take further steps beyond the current framework.”
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