Coronavirus Victoria: 282 new cases, 25 deaths, Australia’s deadliest day
The nation has recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic with 25 people losing their fight against the virus overnight in Victoria.
Australia has recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic so far with 25 people losing their fight against the virus overnight in Victoria.
The Department of Health and Human Services announced the figure on Twitter on Monday morning, along with 282 new cases overnight.
It takes the state’s death toll to 334 and follows 16 deaths reported on Sunday.
The nation’s deadliest day was previously last Wednesday when 21 Victorians lost their lives from coronavirus in the preceding 24 hours.
The number of new daily cases in Victoria appears to have stabilised and is only slightly higher than the 279 reported on Sunday, with the total number of infections about 17,000.
About 15,500 of those infections have been recorded in metropolitan Melbourne and at least 1000 in regional Victoria.
The number of active cases in the state has fallen over the past few days and is now about 7500.
More detail on Monday’s figures are expected at the Premier’s daily media briefing later today.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday extended the state of emergency in Victoria for an extra four weeks.
Mr Andrews also revealed on Sunday that Victoria’s Reff number – or reproduction number – was 0.86, meaning each positive case was infecting less than one other person on average.
“We need it to be as low as possible,” he said in a Facebook post.
“The higher the number, the faster the virus spreads.”
The state of emergency is now set to expire at 11.59pm on September 13, along with Melbourne’s state 4 restrictions.
Since August 2, Victoria has also been under a state of disaster, which can remain in place for up to a month but could also be renewed.
Mr Andrews said the extension would allow the State Government to continue enforcing physical distancing and isolation requirements as well as other directions made by the chief health officer.
”We will beat this virus – and extending the state of emergency ensures we have all the tools we need for the fight,” Mr Andrews said on Sunday.
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