Victoria records 1419 new local cases of coronavirus, 10 more deaths

Victorian officials are scrambling to find out whether the Omicron variant of Covid-19 has penetrated the state.

Protests which attracted tens of thousands of people in Melbourne in recent weeks may soon be considered “superspreaders”, with the health department revealing more positive cases were being linked back to such events.

The health department revealed there were now 29 cases linked to mass gatherings in the Melbourne CBD in November, with two people admitted to hospital with the virus.

The cases include 18 men and 11 women aged between 14 and 73 years old, with only one case fully vaccinated at the time of testing positive.

Public health investigations have determined 11 cases attended the mass gatherings while infectious, with 16 cases deemed to have possibly acquired Covid-19 during the protests.

Martin Foley said he wouldn’t be surprised if the new variant was in Victoria. Picture: Paul Jeffers / NCA NewsWire

New global Covid variant Omicron could already be circulating in Victoria, according to the state’s health minister, as cases and death levels spiked in the state on Thursday.

Victoria recorded a rise to 1419 cases and 10 deaths on Thursday, as updated pandemic figures showed 288 infected Victorians in hospital, with 41 in intensive care and 20 on a ventilator.

Case numbers had been hovering around the 1000 mark for the past few days.

Health Minister Martin Foley said while the new variant had not yet been found in the state, he flagged there was a high possibility it was already here.

“We wouldn't be surprised, given the arrangements that we’ve seen in NSW and around the globe, that it might well be ticking along out there at the moment, but there’s been no cases reported so far,” Mr Foley said.

More than 91 per cent of eligible Victorians are now fully vaccinated, with scientists investigating whether current vaccines will offer enough immunity for the new strain.

More than 91 per cent of eligible Victorians are now fully vaccinated. Picture: Daniel Pockett / NCA NewsWire

Australia remains on high alert after seven confirmed cases of the Omicron variant, including six infections in NSW and one in the Northern Territory, have so far been confirmed in the country.

The latest case, a man in his 40s, arrived in Sydney on November 25 after recently spending time in South Africa.

The man is believed to have spent six days in the community in western Sydney before testing positive to Covid on Wednesday.

Premier Daniel Andrews said there had been less hospitalisations, despite steady case numbers. Picture: David Crosling / NCA NewsWire

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Premier Daniel Andrews said he believed a third dose of the vaccine would be critical in fighting new variants.

He said despite the rise in new cases, there were less hospital admissions.

“We’re still doing that work to firm up our view that whilst this is much more transmissible, it’s much more infectious, it moves more quickly, it is presenting relatively mildly,” Mr Andrews said.

“Given the speed at which it moves, it may well replace the Delta variant, and if it does produce more mild disease, then that’s not a bad thing.

“We just have to have all of that confirmed.”

Originally published as Victoria records 1419 new local cases of coronavirus, 10 more deaths