Victoria records 71 cases, highest since September 2020

Victoria's lockdown is supposed to end next week, on September 2, but that looks unlikely as Victoria recorded 71 local cases, which is the highest total since September 4, 2020, when the State also recorded 71 cases.

Victorian Premire Mr Daniel Andrews said the large number of infected people in the community is a "significant concern to us".

He says at least 16 of today’s 71 cases were isolating throughout their infectious period, 49 are linked to known outbreaks and 22 are under investigation.  

Mr Andrews is asked whether or not he will lift the lockdown, and he refuses to commit and said   “can’t predict what settings will be recommended in a week’s time”.

Mr Andrews said he did not know what advice Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton would give about lockdown ending next week.

The lockdown is currently scheduled until 11.59pm Thursday 2 September, and the curfew applies to Melbourne from 9pm to 5am every day.

Another worrying factor in the situation in Victoria is the increase in the number of people being hospitalised.

Testing commander Jeroen Weimar says the number of people ending up in hospital has "shifted significantly" in the past few days.

There are 29 people currently in hospital. Nine of those are in ICU and five are on ventilators.

“Of the 29 people currently in hospital or in hospital with Covid, 21 are under the age of 50 and there is one infant among those people,” Mr Weimar said.

“Within ICU, we have one person in their 20s, one in their 30s, five in their 40s, and two in their 50s and again, very young age profile for an ICU unit. 

Nobody who is an ICU has been vaccinated at this point in time.”