Today marks the most difficult and tragic day of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia yet.
Victoria has recorded 723 positive COVID-19 tests and, tragically, another 13 deaths, including ten connected to the aged care sector.
It’s almost 200 more positive tests than the previous daily record of 532 cases, recorded on Monday. There were close to 20,000 tests done yesterday, which The Guardian reports is around 5000 fewer than the month’s daily average. (See daily test figures here).
During his press conference this morning, Premier Daniel Andrews said there’s been a significant amount of transmission in aged-care facilities.
He made a point of starting the press conference by thanking health and aged care workers. “I thank you deeply. It’s very challenging and very, very confronting,” he said.
“They are doing an amazing job. To all of our partners in that effort, we’re equally grateful. There’s no lines here. We are all on the same team and we’re all working hard to get this job done.”
Away from the aged care crisis, Premier Andrews continually reiterated the need for people to stay home from work if they have any symptoms at all.
He said ADF and health professionals had come across a number of people with positive COVID-19 cases who were at work.
“There were also a number of other people who, when there was a discussion, the person that the ADF and the health department, as a joint team, were looking for, the person who has a confirmed diagnosis having coronavirus, they’ve got a positive test, they weren’t home. But a family member was, and the family member helpfully pointed out that the person, a positive coronavirus case, was in fact at work,” he said.
“Beyond that, there were some instances where people were not perhaps clear on what they needed to do. The important thing is that they got that information because they were door-knocked.”
These door-knocking teams also came across a number of people who needed additional grocery and medical supplies — which were able to be provided because of those visits.
“You can’t go to work if you’re sick. You’ve got to get tested. And you’ve got to stay home until those results come through.”
He again urged people to refrain from going to work if they have any kind of symptoms at all.
Premier Andrews also announced a number of new restrictions, including that everyone in Victoria will have to wear masks from midnight on Sunday. There are six local government areas that will no longer be able to have visitors in their homes including Greater Geelong, Surf Coast, Moorabool, Golden Plains, Colac Otway and Queenscliff.
NSW has recorded 18 new COVID-19 cases, while Queensland has recorded three.