Coronavirus Victoria: Three deaths recorded among 428 new cases

Three more people have died from coronavirus in Victoria as the state records a record 428 cases in the last 24 hours.

Victoria has recorded three more deaths from coronavirus among a record spike in cases.

Premier Daniel Andrews announced the deaths - a man his 80s, a man in his 70s and a woman in her 80s - in a press conference this morning while announcing 428 new COVID-19 cases.

Mr Andrews said 57 of the cases are connected to known outbreaks, one is from quarantine and 370 are under investigation.

“I am very sad to have to inform you that there have been three further deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 32, since yesterday,” he said.

“I can offer no further information about those three tragedies, but we send our best wishes and our thoughts and prayers to their families. This will be a particularly challenging and very, very sad time for them.”

There have been 5165 cases recorded in Victoria so far.

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Victoria announced 428 virus cases today and three deaths. Picture: William West/AFP

Victoria’s previous biggest daily increase came yesterday with 317 new cases.

It was the largest increase in any Australian state or territory since the pandemic began.

Of yesterday’s cases, 28 were linked to known outbreaks and 289 are under investigation.

Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said in recent weeks the state had seen a steady increase in cases across Victoria but concentrated largely in metropolitan Melbourne.

“Today’s numbers demonstrate the gravity of the situation,” she said.

“122 people now in hospital and 13 more yesterday and more people again in intensive care units. So I want to impress upon all Victorians at the seriousness of the situation and the need to follow the rules and exercise common sense.”

She said the state had seen “great tragedy” this week.

“This is a serious situation. We are in the fight of our lives,” she said.

“I want to impress on all Victorians need to be vigilant, to limit movements.”

Australia has recorded a total 10,620 cases of COVID-19, with 3338 in New South Wales, 1071 in Queensland, 444 in South Australia, 646 in Western Australia, 228 in Tasmania, 113 in the Australian Capital Territory and 30 in the Northern Territory.

Meanwhile, a secret report by virus detectives into the source of the COVID-19 outbreak that has forced Melbourne into lockdown is being kept under wraps by the Victorian Government.

The renowned Doherty Institute, the medical research facility that convinced Prime Minister Scott Morrison to shut down the economy earlier this year to avoid a European-style outbreak, has revealed it cannot release new genomic sequencing because of a public inquiry into the bungled hotel quarantine mess.

But the decision has sparked fury in Victoria, because the taxpayer-funded research explaining how the outbreak escaped hotel quarantine and forced its way into multiple public housing blocks in Victoria is critical to understanding why millions of Melburnians are now under lockdown.