Victorian nurse tells of patients ‘begging’ for vaccine in ICU wards as state records 1220 new cases

A Melbourne nurse on the front lines of the pandemic became emotional as she spoke of patients ‘begging’ for a vaccine when it was too late.

A Melbourne nurse has described patients “begging” for the coronavirus vaccine when they’re about to be put on life support as Victoria considers whether to fly in help from interstate.

Royal Melbourne Hospital Intensive Care Unit nurse supervisor Michelle Spence pleaded for people to get vaccinated as she described the harrowing scenes her staff are dealing with daily.

“One of the saddest things I’ve seen the last few weeks is people wanting the vaccination just before we put them on a life support machine,” she said on Sunday.

“They’re begging for the vaccination, they’re very young, and once we get to that and we’re about to put them on life support, it is really too late.”

She urged people who remained unvaccinated to get the shot so they didn’t have to become an “unnecessary statistic”.

Northern Hospital ICU nurse Jacqui Harper and Royal Melbourne Hospital ICU nurse Michelle Spence urged people to get vaccinated. NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

One of her patients was a “fit” tradie in his 30s with no past history of medical issues who was not vaccinated and ended up in intensive care with the virus.

Ms Spence relayed her experiences as Victoria recorded another three deaths and 1220 cases. Those who died included a man in his 50s, a woman in her 70s and a man in his 80s.

The nurse became emotional, her voice breaking up, as she described patients not getting to see their families or loved ones before they died.

“We hold their hands while their families have to be at home, and that is absolutely not what it should be about,” she said.

“Loved ones deserve to have their families with them when they die.”

She flagged the possibility of nurses from Queensland flying south to help with the once-in-a-lifetime health crisis.

“It’s something on the cards but we haven’t got there yet,” she told reporters.

Royal Melbourne Hospital ICU nurse Michelle Spence shares her thoughts on how hospitals are coping with the latest Covid-19 cases in Melbourne. Picture : NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

There are currently 476 people in Victorian hospitals with the virus, including 98 in intensive care units and 57 on a ventilator.

Only five per cent of patients in hospital with the virus were fully vaccinated.

Northern Hospital nurse unit manager Jacqui Harper said it was challenging to be a nurse and many in the profession were questioning their futures.

She said Saturday’s protests — in which more than 100 people were arrested and fined for rallying against mandatory vaccines for authorised workers — were “frustrating” for her and her team.

Despite nearly 500 people in hospital with the virus, Premier Daniel Andrews said the state was close to ending its lengthy lockdown.

“We’re so so close, we can see the other side of this now,” Mr Andrews said.

Up to 82 per cent of people aged over 16 have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine and 51.9 per cent of the population had received two shots.

“It isn’t over yet, it will be soon. People can be optimistic and positive.”

“Former Premier Gladys Berejiklian would routinely at national cabinet try and convince me that her lockdown was the hardest lockdown anywhere,” Premier Daniel Andrews said. Picture : NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

Melbourne is set to hit a grim milestone on Monday, with a record 246 days spent in lockdown.

Mr Andrews said he was proud of Victorians for enduring the lockdown, but slammed Sydney for importing the Delta variant into the state.

He had a crack at NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian — who resigned on Friday and will be formally replaced on Tuesday — about her lockdown stance.

“Former Premier Gladys Berejiklian would routinely at national cabinet try and convince me that her lockdown was the hardest lockdown anywhere,” he said.

“We’re for the science and we’re for the data ... others decided to play silly games every day of this pandemic.”

The state’s Covid-19 testing commander Jeroen Weimar has said the latest numbers are “pretty stark” and was concerned about a spike of cases in Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs.

Up to 30 per cent of the new cases recorded were in the Western suburbs including in Truganina, Point Cook and Tarneit.

In the Epping and northern suburbs region there were 497 cases and in the south east there were 236 cases in Keysborough, Frankston and Pakenham, Mr Weimar said.

Northern Hospital nurse unit manager Jacqui Harper she and colleagues were “very frustrated” with anti-vaccination protesters like those who rallied on Saturday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Sarah Matray

“We’re still seeing household to household (contact) with people who are visiting each other in their homes for those ad hoc things, often through related family groups or friendship groups,” he said of the rising case numbers in that area.

He said of the cases recorded in the last 24 hours up to 70 per cent were under the age of 40.

“We are talking about young people, largely unvaccinated young people,” Mr Weimar said.

Across regional areas there were 52 cases including eight in Shepparton, seven in Latrobe, four at Ararat, four at Ballarat and five in Geelong.

Originally published as Victorian nurse tells of patients ‘begging’ for vaccine in ICU wards as state records 1220 new cases