Victoria records 1240 new Covid-19 cases, four more deaths

The state’s daily case count has eased but remains alarmingly high as more cases of the highly transmissible variant are identified.

There are now two dozen cases of the Omicron variant in Victoria as the state records 1240 new infections and four more deaths, while health authorities say the strain’s rapid transmission rate is concerning.

Deputy chief medical officer Sonya Bennett said there was still a lot of uncertainty around the severity of the variant but it had become clear it was highly transmissible, with a doubling time of around two days.

“And if we see high numbers, that sheer number of cases is a cause for concern,” Dr Bennett told reporters on Sunday morning.

But Victoria’s acting premier James Merlino said the critical issue was hospitalisations and ICU beds, not case numbers.

“That’s the critical thing that we that we look at every single day but obviously we’ve got a new variant and it is likely to become the dominant variant across the globe,” Mr Merlino said.

“We’re seeing a big increase in NSW so it’s something that we are learning more about every day in terms of its impact and the effectiveness of vaccines.”

Acting premier James Merlino says it was not so much about case numbers, more the hospitalisations and ICU beds that were ‘critical’. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Sarah Matray

There are 392 people in Victorian hospital with the virus, 81 in intensive care and 41 on a ventilator.

Mr Merlino said there were 24 cases of the Omicron variant in Victoria, 16 of which were acquired overseas.

“Omicron has shown us the importance of the booster so our focus is on how hospitals are coping and how do we gear up and maximise the number of vaccinations and boosters that people have over the next period.”

The latest numbers are substantially lower than Saturday’s, when Victoria recorded 1504 new Covid-19 cases - 19 of which were the Omicron variant - and seven deaths.

The state on Thursday confirmed 1622 cases - its highest number of daily infections since late October.

Hordes of Victorians have been flocking to Covid-19 testing centres before Christmas.

Deputy chief medical officer Sonya Bennett Omicron had a doubling time of about two days. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

Pre-travel requirements and increased notifications for testing resulted in daily swabs hitting a record 88,000 on Friday, leading to calls for more pop-up sites before families embark on holidays.

Dr Bennett urged people to wear masks, saying it was pleasing to see a large proportion of people still wearing them at crowded shops “but probably not large enough”.

“My plea to the community is we don’t need to wait for mandates to tell us what is sensible to do,” she said.

“If you’re having gatherings, think about having them outdoors or in well ventilated spaces. Limit numbers.

“And try and be safe and socially distance.”

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said he did not expect a return to lockdowns as daily case numbers in NSW keep breaking records.

“We’re going into summer ... having hit over 90 per cent double dose, we’re one of the best protected societies in the world,” he said.

Originally published as Victoria records 1240 new Covid-19 cases, four more deaths