Victoria closes in on a grim Covid milestone: State set to hit 100,000 cases since the pandemic began
- Victoria is nearing 100,000 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began
- The state reached 98,130 total cases as of Monday
- Based on current trends, it is expected to reach 100,000 by the end of this week
Victoria is nearing 100,000 COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began.
The state reached 98,130 total cases as of Monday.
Based on current trends, it is expected to reach 100,000 by the end of this week.
Victoria recorded a further 1126 new locally acquired cases and five deaths of people aged in their 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s on Monday, bringing the state's toll across the pandemic to 1182.
It was the fifth day in a row that the state recorded numbers over 1000.
While active cases hover over 16,000, the number of Victorians in hospital battling the virus continues to fall.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews speaks to the media during a press conference in Melbourne
There are 556 COVID-19 patients in hospital, with 91 in intensive care including 54 on ventilators.
It has dropped the state's seven-day hospitalisation average by 20 to 628.
Some 84.1 per cent of Victorians over 12 are fully vaccinated, with data analysts predicting the state could hit its 90 per cent target as early as November 23.
The Victorian government on Monday announced rapid tests will be trialled by up to 20 outbreak-stricken schools, before being rolled out to all schools across the state from November 15.
The approved at-home tests, part of a stockpile of 200,000 secured by the state government, will be offered to unvaccinated students deemed primary close contacts of a positive case at school.
It will allow students to return to face-to-face learning after seven days in isolation, rather than the current requirement of 14.
But they will still need to provide a negative PCR test on day six and return a negative rapid test before school from days eight to 14 after exposure.
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