Victoria records 1638 new Covid cases but state’s road map remains ‘on track’

Victoria has recorded an alarming overnight spike in Covid-19 hospital cases, with official figures revealing two troubling trends.

Victoria has recorded an alarming overnight spike in hospital cases, as well as a surge in people in intensive care and those on ventilators.

It comes after another high Covid-19 tally was recorded.

Authorities on Thursday confirmed there were 564 people were in hospital - a rise in 39 people from the day prior.

The state recorded a 21 person jump to 115 people in intensive care, and also 21 more people on ventilators.

There’s now concern the hospital system may become overwhelmed as Victorians race to get vaccinated.

Acting chief health officer Ben Cowie said hospitalisations generally occurred between seven to 10 days after a person tested positive.

He expects to see an increase in Covid hospital admissions.

“When we see days of 1700 cases, we are not just worried about that because of the case number, we are worried that 80 or 90 of those people are going to end up in hospital down the track,” he said.

“The pressure on the whole system is increasing and it will continue to increase and the thing we can do about that is get vaccinated.”

Acting CHO Ben Cowie said he expected hospitalisations would continue to rise. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Sarah Matray

Victoria recorded 1638 new Covid cases on Thursday and another two deaths.

Earlier this week, the state broke a record for the highest ever daily cases in Australia, with 1763 infections reported.

Thursday’s tally was significantly higher than Wednesday’s 1420 infections, as the figure bounces around the mid-1000s.

But despite the high numbers, the Burnet Institute’s Mark Stoove said the state was still on track to reopening.

“The numbers that have been coming through over the last week or so have been high and they’ve been stabilising between 1000 and 1500,” Professor Stoove told Today.

“But it is well within the bounds of our modelling. I don’t see any reason why the government would want to change its road map at the moment.”

Covid-19 cases across Melbourne's northern and western suburbs are driving case numbers. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

It comes a day after a cancer ward at the Melbourne Royal Children’s Hospital was listed as a public exposure site when a parent tested positive to the virus.

Hospital CEO Bernadette McDonald said the exposure occurred a few days ago and contact tracing was underway.

“Every time we get an exposure site it’s concerning to all of us and we’re trying to minimise it as much as possible,” she said.

“But we do know that Covid in children is not as extreme as it does affect adults. But all children, no matter where they are, are monitored very closely, whether they’ve got Covid or not, and if they happen to become Covid positive, there’s an increased monitoring.

“This is something we’re seeing regularly and that’s why we have our screening processes in place.”

Patients and carers in a cancer ward at the Royal Children's hospital will be quarantined for 14 days in their rooms. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

Victoria on Wednesday announced it would roll out rapid antigen testing in the state’s healthcare settings.

More than 500 people are in Victorian hospitals with Covid, with 101 in intensive care and 66 on a ventilator.

The government will purchase at least 2.2 million tests throughout the state’s healthcare system before expanding to “riskier” settings such as schools, childcare, corrections and emergency services.

The testing will also be used to manage close contacts and for triage patients seeking access to urgent care.

“There will of course be an opportunity for industry and for domestic use and for other areas of the Victorian community to incorporate rapid testing,” Health Minister Martin Foley said.

“It will be part of the ongoing toolkit to make sure that we can manage and deal with the potential for Covid in our daily lives.”

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Originally published as Victoria records 1638 new Covid cases but state’s road map remains ‘on track’