One in every 25 Victorians now have Covid as daily cases surge

One in every 25 Victorians now have Covid-19 as health authorities reveal when Omicron infections are expected to peak.

A staggering four per cent of Victorians – or one in every 25 people – are now believed to be infected with Covid, as daily cases continue to soar into the tens of thousands.

The state recorded 34,808 new infections on Monday, marking a new high for the state, which has witnessed a steady climb in cases since the emergence of Omicron.

With 161,065 reported active cases now in the state, acting chief health officer Ben Cowie said there were undoubtedly many more unreported cases out in the community.

“It would not be out of the ballpark to suggest that something like four per cent of the Victorian population has Covid right now,” Professor Cowie said.

“There’s probably a significantly greater proportion of people who have got mild symptoms that have decided to just stay at home and wait for seven days, although we do recommend people access diagnostics.”

New restrictions have been introduced in Victoria. Picture: Josie Hayden

More than 800 Victorians have been hospitalised with the virus, with 118 patients in intensive care and two on ventilators.

Two more people died of the virus overnight.

Professor Cowie said the virus was affecting younger, healthier people, while strong vaccination levels meant fewer people were being hospitalised.

He said 90 per cent of the new cases were Omicron.

“While those numbers sound like a shocking statistic, we are not seeing that translate into the sort of hospitalisations that we would have back with the first wave or indeed last year with the Delta virus,” Professor Cowie said.

“But with the sheer scale of transmission that we’re seeing, our hospital pressure is going to continue to increase to levels that we’ve not seen throughout this entire pandemic.”

We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.

Our thoughts are with those in hospital, and the families of people who have lost their lives.

More data soon: https://t.co/OCCFTAtS1P#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicDatapic.twitter.com/Xek4hvvXXP

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) January 9, 2022

In response to the high number of cases, authorities moved on Monday to reintroduce restrictions.

Indoor dance floors will be banned from midnight on January 12, while venues can still open with density limits.

Indoor dance floors at weddings will still be permitted.

The change reflects settings already in place in other states, including NSW.

Authorities are also recommending people work from home and hospitality businesses opt for seated service.

Health Minister Martin Foley urged visitors to restaurants, cafes and bars to take a rapid antigen test before attending.

“Victoria is open and the community is encouraged to support businesses in a Covid-safe way,” he said.

“Closing indoor dance floors is a simple but important step – we know they pose an extraordinary risk of mass transmission.”

Originally published as One in every 25 Victorians now have Covid as daily cases surge