Victoria records 1302 new Covid-19 cases

Victoria has recorded 1302 new Covid-19 infections as more cases of the highly transmissible Omicron variant are identified.

About 93 per cent of Victorians aged above 12 have been vaccinated. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

Victoria has recorded 1302 new Covid-19 cases on Monday as more infections linked to the variant of concern are identified.

There are 406 people in Victorian hospital with the virus, 81 in intensive care and 43 on a ventilator.

There are now two dozen cases of the Omicron variant in Victoria, with health authorities saying the strain’s rapid transmission rate is concerning.

Deputy chief medical officer Sonya Bennett said there was still a lot of uncertainty around the severity of the variant but it had become clear it was highly transmissible, with a doubling time of around two days.

“And if we see high numbers, that sheer number of cases is a cause for concern,” Dr Bennett said on Sunday.

There are now two dozen cases of the Omicron variant in Victoria. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

But Victoria’s acting premier James Merlino said the critical issue was hospitalisations and ICU beds, not case numbers.

“That’s the critical thing that we look at every single day but obviously we’ve got a new variant and it is likely to become the dominant variant across the globe,” Mr Merlino said.

“We’re seeing a big increase in NSW so it’s something that we are learning more about every day in terms of its impact and the effectiveness of vaccines.”