Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has confirmed the extremely grim news that Victoria has recorded a further 484 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, which is now the highest single-day total of any Australian jurisdiction.
The staggering number follows on from yesterday’s total of 374, and handily eclipses the previous high-water mark of 428 which was recorded just last Friday.
Victoria now has somewhere in the vicinity of 3,408 active cases of coronavirus in the state, with over 205 cases currently in hospital and 40 of those in intensive care. Premier Andrews announced that, as part of today’s numbers, a further 2 people have sadly died as a result of the virus, bringing the state’s death toll to 44.
Worryingly, Victorian officials are still investigating the origins of nearly 2,000 cases, suggesting efforts to track and trace cases of the virus are quickly becoming overwhelmed.
A large percentage of Victoria’s extreme spike is connected to workplaces and, specifically, aged care. The latter has seen some 41 separate clusters spring up in recent weeks, putting some of the state’s most vulnerable people at extreme risk.
Melburnians will be subject to mandatory mask-wearing protocols from midnight tonight, with those found outside without a mask to be hit with $200 fines by Victoria Police.
More to come.
