How Covid deaths in Victoria are surging amid dropping nursing home vaccination rates

Forty Victorians have died of Covid in the past week, as flu cases soared by 38 per cent in the first fortnight of April.

Forty Victorians have died of Covid in the past week — up from 30 last week — as flu cases also soar.

The Victorian Department of Health on Friday morning reported more than 6000 new Covid cases had been reported across the state in the past week.

But of most concern is the rise in deaths and hospitalisations, with 40 Victorian Covid deaths in the past week and 297 people hospitalised — 19 in intensive care.

The 30 Victorian deaths reported last Friday was a 108 per cent increase compared to the same period the previous month.

And flu rates have also skyrocketed, rising by 38 per cent in the first fortnight of April compared to the fortnight prior.

Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton said the state’s sustained trend of increasing Covid cases, hospitalisations and intensive care admissions was being driven by a combination of waning immunity and the growth in recent weeks of multiple Omicron recombinant XBB sublineages.

Covid case numbers have more than doubled in residential aged care over the last two months.

These formed 74 per cent of circulating variants from wastewater samples with XBB.1.5 (37 per cent), XBB.1.9.1 (15 per cent), XBB.1.16 (five per cent), and other mixed XBB sublineages (17 per cent).

It comes as Australia’s peak aged care advocacy group warns Covid case numbers have more than doubled in residential aged care over the last two months, while vaccination rates have dropped.

The Department of Health and Aged Care reported more than 2000 active resident and staff cases on April 13 – up from almost 800 cases on February 9.

There are fears this number will rise further as winter approaches.

Older Person’s Advocacy Network (OPAN) chief Craig Gear said the federal government’s latest vaccination status update revealed just 33 per cent of Australian aged care residents had received a booster shot (or had a Covid infection) in the last six months.

“These booster shot figures are alarmingly low,” Mr Gear said.

“Vaccination remains the best form of protection against the impacts of Covid.

“Service providers must work with older people and their families to ensure every aged care resident is supplied with up-to-date information and access to a booster shot.”

Antiviral treatments further reduced the risk of complications for people over the age of 70.

“We encourage older people to have a conversation with their family and health team about the treatment that is right for them,” Mr Gear said.

Booster shot figures are alarmingly low in residential aged care, advocates claim.

Battle looms over Covid lockdown fines

Prominent anti-vaxxer Monica Smit claims she is “looking forward” to heading to court to fight fines she received during Melbourne’s Covid restrictions.

Ms Smit posted on social media this week there were two outstanding fines she planned to fight at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on May 15, during a scheduled three day hearing.

She invited her followers to “attend Monica Smit’s trial”.

“Many before me have tried to be heard in court but the fines are often withdrawn before they get the chance,” the former anti-lockdown crusader said.

“If I get my day in court I promise to represent basic human rights and dignity to the best of my abilities. I won’t be bending, pleading or making excuses for leaving my house!”

Ms Smit told her followers there would be “coffee and chats” before the 9.30am hearing, at a Melbourne espresso bar.

Monica Smit addresses unvaccinated healthcare workers stage at a protest outside the Royal Melbourne Hospital in November 2022. Picture: Mark Stewart

Monica Smit at a 2021 Reignite Democracy Australia rally in Geelong, spreading the message ‘it’s OK To Say No’ to the Covid vaccine.

She said the two Covid fines were on the same charge sheet as incitement charges she had faced earlier.

“I’m still on bail due to these,” she said.

Ms Smit, who founded anti-vaccination group Reignite Democracy Australia, filmed her own arrest in September 2021.

She was charged with two counts of incitement in relation to protests held in August 2021, and then in December of the same year addressed a Melbourne anti Covid restriction protest crowd via audio link, saying she was “watching and supporting you guys from afar”.

“The enemy is an evil beast — we will get there together. This fight is long but justice will be served. Together we will and can save our children,” Ms Smit said at the time.

Monica Smit protests outside former Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt’s electoral office in Somerville in February 2021. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Anti-vax campaigner Monica Smit before she is arrested in a video uploaded in December 2020.

Ms Smit’s incitement charges were later dropped, with prosecutors filing a notice of discontinuance after deciding it was no longer in the “public interest” to continue proceedings.

At the time, Ms Smit said she was celebrating the dropping of the charges with champagne — but now says is excited for her day in court in relation to two outstanding Covid fines.

“Looking forward to this,” she posted, in relation to the hearing.

Ms Smit, who describes herself as managing director of the Reignite Democracy group, describes it as “a grassroots movement created in response to the Victorian government’s catastrophic handling of the Covid pandemic”.