Victoria has recorded 384 new coronavirus cases and six more deaths, as the state puts a pause on non-urgent elective surgeries to free up more staff to treat COVID-19 patients.
Key points:
- Elective surgeries in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire will be postponed, except for category one and the most urgent category two procedures
- Premier Daniel Andrews said it would free up staff to care for coronavirus patients, particularly those from aged care
- Mr Andrews said he no longer had confidence the private aged care sector could protect residents, with 769 of the state’s 4,775 active COVID-19 cases now linked to aged care homes
Premier Daniel Andrews said two people aged in their 90s, three people in their 80s and one person in their 70s had died.
Four of those fatalities are linked to clusters in private-sector aged care homes.
Mr Andrews also announced “with some regret” that elective surgeries would be suspended, except for category one and the most urgent category two procedures.
The suspensions will apply to public and private hospitals in Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire, which are under stage three restrictions.
“This will free up beds and free up staff,” he said.
Mr Andrews said the decision was made with “a sense of absolute urgency” in order to ensure hospital staff were on hand to treat residents from aged care.
“Staff is the biggest issue,” he said.
“We have the better part of 200 residents that have already been moved from private sector aged care to clinical settings,