Latest figures show a nearly 62 per cent rise in Victorians dying of Covid, many unvaccinated

Victorians are being asked to take a Covid test before Christmas parties and events, as deaths and hospitalisations rise.

A crowded Bourke street mall in Melbourne as Covid deaths rise. Picture: David Crosling

Covid deaths have skyrocketed in Victoria by more than 60 per cent over the past week.

A shocking 85 Victorian Covid deaths have been reported in the last seven days.

Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton said on Friday there had been an average of 12 deaths reported each day over the past week.

This was a 61.8 per cent increase in the number of daily deaths for the month, when compared to the month before.

In the past three months there have been 586 Covid-related deaths in Victoria, Prof Sutton said.

Of those, 39.8 per cent of people were unvaccinated and 46.4 per cent had not received their third vaccine dose.

The seven-day rolling average of Victorians hospitalised with Covid had also risen by 24 per cent in the last week, he said.

Victorians are being asked to take a Covid test before they attend December functions and events, as the number of deaths rises. Picture: David Crosling

There were currently 713 Covid patients in Victorian hospitals, with 34 in intensive care and six on a ventilator.

“There are simple things people can do now to reduce transmission and protect the community, particularly as we approach the holiday season,” Prof Sutton said.

“If you plan on attending a social event this December, consider taking a rapid antigen test (RAT) before you go and especially if you have any symptoms. If you are positive for Covid, you should isolate for at least five days.”

But in good news, the number of weekly Covid cases appears to be stabilising, with 27,790 cases reported in Victoria over the past week, an increase of just 3.4 per cent on the previous week.

“Covid-19 case numbers have shown signs of stabilising, however, there remains significant uncertainty around the duration and severity of this wave due to the role of multiple new variants circulating in Victoria,” Prof Sutton said.

“The recombinant strain XBF and the Omicron sub variant BQ.1 have shown significant growth in Victoria, accounting for 20 per cent and 25 per cent of the average proportion in wastewater surveillance respectively. No single sub variant significantly predominates among circulating strains.”