7172 new Covid cases, three deaths in Victoria; no plans for new restrictions

People have reported staying in isolation for up to four days as Victorians still face long waits to receive their Covid test results.

Victorians are still facing long waits to receive their Covid-19 test results as heatwaves and high demand continue to put pressure on the state’s pathology system.

Some testing centres in Melbourne on Sunday closed within an hour of opening. Sites had also been forced to close on New Year’s Day due to high temperatures.

People have reported staying in isolation for up to four days while awaiting their PCR results.

Early Childhood Minister Ingrid Stitt said on Sunday the majority of results would come back within two days.

“The latest advice that I have about results is that they are overwhelmingly still coming through within 24 to 48 hours,” she said.

“(Saturday’s) heat, which ­affected some of our centres, may have something to do with some of the longer waits but there’s been unprecedented ­demand in the system.

“We are committed to making sure that we’re continuing to deliver results as quickly as possible.”

There were 48,252 tests processed in the 24 hours leading up to Sunday, down from 63,026 the day before.

Thousands of Victoria are turning out daily to get Covid tests. Picture: David Geraghty

Ms Stitt said changes to close contact and testing rules, introduced from Friday, would start to have an impact and ease pressure on the system.

“The main thing that’s been done is the decision out of ­national cabinet about prioritisation of who should present for testing,” she said.

“That will have a significant positive effect on wait times.

“We’re asking people with symptoms to turn up for PCR testing, but we will have rapid antigen tests for those who might be close contacts but are not showing symptoms.

“We can relieve pressure on our testing services.”

Ms Stitt said an announcement was imminent about how Victoria would be rolling out free rapid antigen tests to those who needed it, but declined to say when this would happen.

Australia Post is also in talks with governments across the country after striking a deal to distribute rapid antigen tests in 170 Tasmanian outlets.

“We are in continued dialogue with state and federal governments and health ­departments to offer assistance,” a spokesman said.

Ms Stitt urged Victorians to keep checking in with QR codes to help authorities work out where to put resources and testing initiatives.

“Everybody has the capacity to do that either electronically or, you know, old-school pen and paper,” she said.

“It’s still important to follow those rules. It makes good sense, and if there is an ­exposure at a site that you’ve been to, then that helps us to make sure that we’re managing a pandemic as best we can.”

ICU NUMBERS ‘STABLE’

The number of Victorians in intensive care with Covid has remained stable even as case numbers and hospitalisations have risen over the past week.

It comes as an Andrews Government minister said there were currently no decisions being made to alter restrictions amid surging case numbers.

Early Childhood Minister Ingrid Stitt on Sunday addressed the media as Victoria recorded 7172 cases and an increase in hospitalisations from 451 to 472.

When asked whether the current trend in Covid cases was sustainable for the hospital system, Ms Stitt said the government would not take anything for granted but pointed to stable ICU figures.

There are currently 52 active cases in ICU, up from 51 the day before.

“Obviously we’ve had modelling (about pressure on hospitals) but the Omicron variant is something that we’re still learning about every day,” Ms Stitt said.

“My understanding is that over the last two or three days, the ICU numbers have remained fairly stable and that’s a good thing.

“But we can’t take anything for granted.

“We all have to make sure that we’re getting those key health messages that everyone’s fully vaccinated, including a third dose and making sure that we’ve been Covidsafe wherever we are in the community.”

Ms Stitt said the efforts of individual Victorians in social distancing and hygiene would help keep pressure off the system.

“Our hardworking, hospital health care workers. You know, they’ve done it pretty tough over the last two years, and I’m sure that they’re longing for a bit of respite,” she said

“All we can do is continue to take the health advice to continue to make sure that we remain one of the highest vaccinated communities anywhere in the world, and also individually do our bit to make sure that we’re being Covid safe and responsible.”

Ms Stitt said there were no current plans to alter restrictions.

“There are no decisions at this point in time but the situation will continue to be monitored and we will continue to take health advice about what the appropriate settings are,” she said.

Ms Stitt said she wouldn’t try to “crystal ball” whether cases could reach 25,000 per day.

“We’ve seen the case numbers today stay relatively stable compared to the previous 24 hours,” she said.

“But this is a day by day proposition and so it’s really important that we keep monitoring it.”

It comes as the Omicron variant was on Saturday night confirmed as the dominant strain of Covid in Victoria, with 76 per cent of all cases now believed to be that variant.

The state’s Sunday caseload is down from a record 7442 on Saturday, although hospitalisations have risen from 451 to 472.

A further 46 people remain in ICU but their cases are no longer considered active.

The state’s vaccination rate stands at 93 per cent of those aged 12 and older.

Chief health officer Brett Sutton has advised the government to close dance floors and implement density caps on hospitality venues though the Health Minister has not enacted those measures.

People queuing for Covid testing at Melbourne Town Hall as cases rise. Picture: David Geraghty

In NSW, the number of new Covid cases has eased slightly to 18,278, but hospitalisations are now above 1000.

NSW’s daily case numbers hit a record 22,577 on Saturday morning but have fallen back in the 24 hours since, a reporting period that stretched over New Year’s Day.

Testing numbers dropped by 30,000 to 90,019 as people woke to the New Year.

Two more people died from Covid, while the number of people in hospital – 1066 patients – is up from 901 on January 1.

There are now 83 people in intensive care, up from 79.

Case numbers there have more than tripled in a week from 6288.

Meanwhile, Queensland has moved to ­introduce a face mask mandate for all indoor settings, except for family homes. The measure came as the state recorded 2266 new Covid cases on Saturday, down from a ­record 3118 hit on Friday.