Code Brown set to end as Victoria records 8521 cases, 13 Covid deaths

Victoria’s health minister has made a big announcement about Covid rules for hospitals as patient numbers continue to fall.

Victoria’s code brown restrictions will end on Monday as the number of Covid-infected people in hospital continues to plummet.

Health Minister Martin Foley made the announcement on Friday, detailing how elective surgeries could relaunch at hospitals across the state.

“It’s important that those pressing cases get dealt with first, but of course if you’re that person waiting, everything is important and critical,” he said.

“That’s why, as soon as it is safe to do so we will be returning, not just to existing levels, but have plans to go even further.”

The state’s code brown was aimed to ease pressure by streamlining emergency management systems due to the high number of Covid patients.

By triggering the code, hospitals have been able to postpone staff members’ leave, redeploy workers to areas of urgent need and redistribute hospital resources.

The restrictions were put in place in mid-January following Victoria’s Omicron case peak.

As part of the impending changes, private hospitals in Melbourne will be able to perform up to half of elective surgery in the city and up to 75 per cent in regional areas.

Paramedics restock ambulances with supplies outside the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Increased easing of restrictions in the sector will be considered next week if the trend of falling Covid hospitalisations continues.

There are now 553 infected people in Victorian hospitals, with 82 in intensive care and 23 on ventilators.

The state has recorded 8521 new cases and 13 Covid deaths in the past 24 hours.

Victoria’s pre-Omicron peak for Covid hospitalisations was 851 in October when the state was battling a surge in Delta infections.

More than 93 per cent of eligible Victorians are fully vaccinated and the state has 53,617 active cases.

The Andrews government has announced the state’s ‘code brown’ for hospitals will end on Monday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

A total of 22,197 PCR tests were taken on Wednesday and 14,650 vaccines were administered at state hubs.

Victoria has also changed its vaccine mandate policy.

In the chief health officer’s daily update on Thursday, the government announced the third dose booster deadline would be extended by four weeks for workers in key sectors, including healthcare, aged care, disability, emergency services, corrections and quarantine accommodation and food distribution centres.

The original deadline was February 12 and workers in those sectors must provide evidence of their third dose by March 12, otherwise they can’t work.

The update did not explain why the change was made.