34,808 new cases, two deaths; booster vaccinations to be mandatory in key industries

One in 25 Victorians has Covid as the Omicron wave continues to sweep the state, prompting authorities to announce new jab mandates and restrictions.

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Victorian health authorities have revealed when the state will hit its peak of the Omicron wave, warning it might not be reached for weeks.

“We would expect the peak of those Omicron cases to be in late January or early February,” Health Minister Martin Foley told reporters on Monday.

“Then of course, the delayed measures of hospitalisations, ICUs, ventilators … sadly this could lag for a week or two after that.”

He also announced that workers in key industries with a vaccine mandate will be required to get a booster before they can work onsite.

Under new changes that will be signed off at 11.59pm Wednesday, the booster mandate will be enforced in healthcare, aged care, disability, emergency services, jails, quarantine and food distribution workplaces.

Workers eligible for their booster on or before Wednesday will have until February 12 to meet the requirement, Mr Foley said.

Workers who are not yet eligible will be required to get a booster within three months and two weeks of the deadline from their second dose.

Royal Children’s Hospital ICU nurse Abbey Gallop receives her booster vaccination. Picture: David Crosling

Residential aged care workers must receive their third dose by March 1 and healthcare workers by March 29.

All other industries under the mandate will have until March 12.

“All of these groups are already covered by existing mandates for those first two vaccinations,” Mr Foley said.

“This is a sensible addition for the relatively high-risk nature that these sectors operate.”

Manufacturing, warehouse and transport staff working in food distribution will be required to get the booster but retail supermarket staff will not.

In a bid to stop supply shortages, workers involving in the manufacturing, packaging and distribution of food will be able to be exempt from close contact isolation rules.

This can only be done if it is necessary to keep the supply chain running and no other options are available.

If a worker is a close contact, they must be asymptomatic and take rapid tests for five days and return a negative result.

They must also be have breaks in solo areas rather than sharing lunch rooms.

Masks must be worn and both the employee and their employer must agree to their return.

People queuing for Covid tests at Melbourne Town Hall last week. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

DANCING BANNED UNDER NEW RESTRICTIONS

Mr Foley also announced additional restrictions on Monday.

From Wednesday, indoor dance floors will be temporarily banned with the exception of weddings.

However, wedding hosts and guests were urged to consider the risks of dancefloors and choose to locate them outdoors if possible.

Victorians will still be recommended to work from home but no binding order enforcing this has been made.

Changes will also be made to hospital and aged care.

Visitors at aged care centres must have a negative rapid test result before entering.

If no rapid tests are available, the resident may only have two visitors that day, down from five.

Visitors in hospitals must have received two doses of a Covid vaccine or returned a negative rapid test before entering.

Unvaccinated adult visitors must wear a N95 mask during their visit.

Meanwhile, fully vaccinated international arrivals no longer need to get a day seven test.

FOUR PER CENT OF VICTORIANS INFECTED

A staggering four per cent of Victorians – or one in every 25 people – are now believed to be infected with Covid, as daily cases continue to soar into the tens of thousands.

The state recorded 34,808 new Covid infections and two deaths, with rapid tests now making up half the results reported.

The Department of Health on Monday said it had received notice of 17,618 positive PCR tests and 17,190 rapid antigen results.

Currently, 818 cases are being treated in hospital.

There are also 118 patients undergoing intensive care while 28 cases are on a ventilator.

The new case figure is down on the 44,155 reported on Sunday.

With 161,065 reported active cases now in the state, acting chief health officer Ben Cowie said there were undoubtedly many more unreported cases out in the community.

“It would not be out of the ballpark to suggest that something like four per cent of the Victorian population has Covid right now,” Professor Cowie said.

Families lining up at a West Melbourne vaccination clinic. Picture: David Caird

“There’s probably a significantly greater proportion of people who have got mild symptoms that have decided to just stay at home and wait for seven days, although we do recommend people access diagnostics.”

Vaccination levels have begun to rise rapidly, with 17 per cent of the adult population now receiving their booster.

Meanwhile, millions of children aged five to 11 are now eligible to get their Covid-19 vaccination from Monday.

There are reports some general practices have cancelled appointments on Monday because of supply shortages.

But Covid-19 vaccination commander Lieutenant General John Frewen he urged parents to have patience as providers get up and running.

“We will be making sure that we get the supplies to those places where they are needed most,” he told Sunrise.

“(Have) a little bit of patience. I know people are very keen to get the kids vaccinated before school. It is just about us matching the vaccines up with where people are.

In Victoria, the number of state-run ­clinics offering child-friendly vaccines will double in a bid to vaccinate more than 500,000 ­Victorian children before school starts.

EXPECT TO CATCH COVID LIKE COMMON COLD

Australians have been told to expect Covid like they would the common cold as Victoria’s pandemic declaration was extended for another three months.

Federal deputy chief medical officer Michael Kidd said on Sunday “many” people should expect to contract Covid in coming weeks and should “make sure (they) have some paracetamol or ibuprofen at home in case you’re diagnosed with Covid-19”.

Professor Kidd also suggested people drink an electrolyte solution to keep their fluids up.

He said many people would feel “anxious” about catching Covid but “most will have no symptoms or very mild symptoms”.

It signalled a major change in the attitude of authorities towards living with the virus.

Friends Vanessa Tsaples, Mickael Skey and Melissa Le Clerc were out on Sunday afternoon to celebrate Jacinta Ami’s 34th birthday, unperturbed by rising case numbers.

Birthday girl Ms Ami said she had accepted that she was likely to contract Covid at some point.

“Why stop my life – life is short so just be cautious and keep your social distance,” she said.

“You will get it and because it’s spreading so quickly and easily, it’s bound to happen.”

Ms Tsaples, 33, said she felt “a little nervous” about going out but “we’ve worked so hard the last two years and I just want to enjoy my summer holidays”.

Vanessa Tsaples, Jacinta Ami, Michael Skey, and Melissa Le Clerc celebrating a birthday party, unperturbed by rising case numbers. Picture: Nicki Connolly

“I’m young, I’m fit, I’m vaccinated … that’s all we can do, right. It’s my friend’s birthday, I want to be out, it’s a nice day and we can’t be locked up in our homes forever.”

Michael Skey, 20, had some reservations but said: “We’re young, we need to have fun and live life”.

Ms Le Clerc, 39, said she was trying to see “the good side of 2022”.

“We’ve been through the hard yards, so I think for me it’s trying to just rise above … and enjoy life,” she said. “There comes a point where you have to decide whether you want to be stuck in that fear or move on.”

As Victoria recorded 44,155 new Covid cases and four deaths on Sunday, Premier Daniel Andrews extended the state’s pandemic declaration until mid-April.

It ensured the Health Minister would continue to have the power to make and enforce public health orders.

Testing sites, meanwhile, have begun handing out rapid antigen tests to people based on whether they have symptoms and how close a contact they are to an active case.

Despite the shift to RATs, Covid Commander Jeroen Weimar warned that testing sites would not become a free-for-all. Mr Weimar said RATs were not being handed out “like lollies” and authorities were “not collecting data for the hell of it”.

“We are asking people who have symptoms and recording basic data,” Mr Weimar said.

“This is still a controlled and clinically managed process.”

Originally published as 34,808 new cases, two deaths; booster vaccinations to be mandatory in key industries