Victoria records highest daily death toll with lower number of new cases

Victoria records  highest daily death toll with lower number of new cases

Victoria recorded its worst daily death toll from coronavirus today, with another 25 people dead. The previous highest tally was 21 deaths last Wednesday. The state has added 282 new cases in the past 24 hours, a slight increase from Sunday’s 279 cases

While case numbers have dropped across Victoria, the government decided to extend its state of emergency for another four weeks, a necessary step to keep restrictions in place.

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews said he hasn't been provided modelling on how many more deaths Victoria might face but said there would no doubt be more people die.

"As long as we have a large number of people in hospital that are gravely ill, we will continue to see people die because of COVID-19," Mr Andrews said.

There are 44 people in intensive care, including 32 who are on ventilators.

While Mr Andrews said today's death toll was "tragic", he said the restrictions had helped save some people.

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews has said despite 22 of today's 25 deaths coming from aged care, the state's coronavirus battle is a "challenge for all of us".

Mr Andrews said "our hearts go out" to the 25 families who are now "planning a funeral”.

"But while many of them are much older and connected with aged care, it's not just a challenge for old people, it's a challenge for all of us," he said.

Premier Dan Andrews also said the thousands of active cases across Victoria was "challenging" to contact tracers but health authorities were still working hard to get people their results quickly.

On Sunday Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has conceded the state may never completely eliminate COVID-19 cases.

Mr Andrews said it was “unlikely” the virus would ever be completely eliminated.

“Even when this second wave is over, we will still see cases, we will still see outbreaks, that is a function of this thing,” he said on Sunday.

“The notion of completely extinguishing it and never seeing it again, I think that it would be an unlikely outcome.”

Mr Andrews also revealed he had “cautious optimism” stage-four lockdown measures in Melbourne would be eased from mid-September.

Mr Andrews pleaded with Victorians to get tested, saying there was "every chance" even mild symptoms could be coronavirus because there were so few flu cases in Victoria this year, due to social distancing and improved hand hygiene.

NSW recorded five new cases and tragically, another death, while South Australia confirmed one new case, a man in his 30s who had been repatriated from India.