Victoria’s recorded 1,377 COVID cases on Monday and four deaths as new case numbers continue to remain high, and the city continues to remain in the longest lockdown the world has yet to see.
As of 8pm Sunday, Melbourne surpassed Buenos Aires’ record of 234 days in lockdown.
Despite stringent restrictions, including a curfew for Melbourne, the Delta outbreak has continued to spread to new parts of the city as well as the rest of the state and there are currently 12,711 active cases in the state.
More tier 1 exposure sites have been listed in regional Victoria, with new listings in Morwell and Shepparton overnight.
A number of new pockets have emerged with 236 infections reported in the city’s south-east, around the suburbs of Keysborough, Frankston and Pakenham.
Meanwhile, intensive care nurses have made an impassioned plea for Victorians to get vaxxed as the number of patients are set to soar.
Royal Melbourne Hospital ICU nurse unit manager said that 19 COVID-19 patients were intensive care from the 135 COVID-19 patients at the hospital. She said patients in intensive care are rethinking their stance on the vaccine with many “begging” for the vaccine before being placed on life support.
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“They are very young and once we get to that point where we are about to put them on life support, it really is too late,” she told the media, imploring Victorians not to delay getting the jab and adding “it’s time to absolutely make a difference”.
There are currently 476 Victorians in hospital, an increase from Saturday by 48 people. Of these, 98 patients are in ICU and 57 require a ventilator.
Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews reminded Victorians the Pfizer dose interval at state-run clinics will halve from six to three weeks in state-run hubs from Monday.
The state hopes to achieve its 70 per cent double dose target by 26 October, and this will trigger the end of lockdown.
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