Victoria records 2297 new local Covid-19 cases, new national record, as vaccination rate climbs

Dan Andrews has issued a stark warning about a pandemic ‘accelerant’ after Victoria set yet another national record for daily cases.

Daniel Andrews has issued a stern warning after Victoria recorded yet another national record for daily cases.

Mr Andrews has given the clearest indication yet that Victoria will be freed from lockdown next week despite a record surge in cases.

Victoria recorded 2297 new locally acquired cases and 11 more deaths on Thursday, becoming the first Australian state to break the 2000 daily infections mark.

The previous Australian record was when 1946 Victorians tested positive to coronavirus on October 8.

But despite record-breaking infections, the Victorian Premier says it won’t delay the state’s road map out of lockdown when the target of 70 per cent of people aged 16 and older fully vaccinated against Covid.

“We are going to deliver the road map,” Mr Andrews said.

“There will be discussions over the next few days and we will answer questions about when the lockdown ends, the precise moment, as well as any additional steps, any changes to be road map we can make, but we are going to deliver the road map.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says the government will deliver the road map. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

“At some point, and it turns out at 70 per cent and then 80 per cent, we stop locking down the whole community to protect people who wouldn’t protect themselves.

“The position of the government is clear, as well as the science and data, and that’s why we opening next week because Victorians have done amazingly getting vaccinated in record numbers in record time and I’m proud of them.”

Mr Andrews had an extremely blunt warning for those who refused to get jabbed.

”It is already a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” he said.

“But it will absolutely be a pandemic of the unvaccinated with accelerant because we are moving - and with speed - because we are open.”

Victoria’s seven-day case average had been falling earlier this week but has now ballooned to 1806, data analyst website CovidBase AU reports.

Victoria’s Reff number – how many other people on average a single Covid-carrying person will infect – is still trending down at 1.02, its lowest point of the outbreak.

It comes as the portion of the population fully vaccinated against the virus climbed to 61.5 per cent overnight.

The new deaths takes the number of lives lost during Victoria’s outbreak to 125 and the toll of the pandemic in Victoria to 945.

The people who died included a man in his 50s from Moonee Valley, a man in his 60s from Moreland, a man in his 70s and a man in his 60s, both from Melton, a man in his 70s, a man in his 60s and a man in his 50s, all from Hume, a man in his 70s from Shepparton, a woman in her 80s and a woman in her 70s, both from Knox, and a man in his 80s from Brimbank.

At least 706 Covid-positive patients are in hospital in Victoria, with 147 of those in intensive care, including 100 cases on a ventilator.

It comes as Victoria gallops towards its 70 per cent reopening target several days earlier than expected.

At least 61.5 per cent of Victorians aged 16 and older are now fully vaccinated. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

The Victorian government initially forecast an end to lockdown for Melbourne on October 26, once 70 per cent of the population aged 16 and older was fully vaccinated, but new data from Covid Live suggests the target could be met by October 22.

Chief health officer Brett Sutton this week said the government would likely end lockdown sooner if targets were met early.

“There’s some flexibility depending on how quickly we get at or around that 70 per cent double-dose mark,” Professor Sutton said.

Lockdown is set to end in Victoria when the 70 per cent target is reached. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Wayne Taylor

“If we move there faster, there’s obviously consideration of having public health directions kick in a little bit earlier, potentially.”

But Health Minister Martin Foley dodged committing to a date to reopen the state on Wednesday.

“Indicative dates were released in the (road map) and Victoria is racing along. As the chief health officer has indicated, when the data is in a position to be interpreted, he is in a position to look at it,” he said.

It comes as the state government launched pop-up vaccination clinics at local cafes, gyms, clubs and shopping strips across the suburbs from Wednesday in the rush to get the population protected.

There are 20,505 active coronavirus cases in Victoria.

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Originally published as Victoria records 2297 new local Covid-19 cases, new national record, as vaccination rate climbs