Darkest day in Victoria -725 new coronavirus cases and 15 deaths

Darkest day in Victoria -725 new coronavirus cases and 15 deaths

Victoria has suffered its darkest day of the coronavirus pandemic today. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced a new daily record of 725 coronavirus cases and 15 deaths. This would be a record number in a day for any state and 723 was the previous mark out of Victoria on July 29.

Twelve of the 15 deaths were associated with aged care. Young person among the victims was a man in his 30s who died at Maroondah Hospital in Melbourne's eastern suburbs

There are currently 538 people in hospital and 42 of those people are receiving intensive care. Victoria's coronavirus tally has escalated to 13,005 cases and the death toll sits at 162

Melbourne has been under Stage 4 lockdown for three days where there is a nightly curfew from 8pm to 5 am, a limit of one-hour of exercise and a travel radius of 5km.

Many Victorian businesses will be forced to shut down from midnight tonight, with a quarter of a million workers told to stay at home. Those who still have jobs to go to will need to carry a permit on their way to work.

Mr Andrews implored people to follow the rules to stop virus numbers from escalating.

"The alternative, of course, is these restrictions lasting for much longer than they should. And all the added pain and suffering and damage that is simply unavoidable," he said.

Victoria is plunged into harsher restrictions this week in a desperate attempt to slow down the state’s coronavirus infections.  Premier Daniel Andrews declared a “state of disaster” that began at 6pm on Sunday, August 2, giving authorities sweeping powers, that includes a nightly curfew for Greater Melbourne from 8pm to 5am.