Staff writers
Latrobe City recorded 69 new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours up to midnight.
This was previously reported as 70 following comments from the state’s chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton, but revised on Friday night.
It is a new record for the most cases in a one-day period in this region.
Of the fresh cases, 31 are in the 3825 postcode (Moe/Newborough district), 22 are in the 3840 postcode (Morwell district), 10 in the 3844 postcode (Traralgon district), three in the 3842 postcode (Churchill district), two in the 3854 postcode (Glengarry district) and one in the 3869 postcode.
Latrobe City has 238 active COVID-19 cases, 48.67 per cent of the total active cases in Gippsland.
Professor Sutton said officials were closely monitoring the latest Latrobe outbreak.
“Latrobe is experiencing high case numbers, (close to) 70 today, so big challenges there,” Prof Sutton said.
“We’ve had days like that in the past in regional Victoria.
“They’ve pushed through with higher and higher vaccination rates and got on top of those numbers by following the public health pillars such as isolation, quarantine and contract tracing done by our public health teams.”
Professor Sutton said there was additional support provided to the Latrobe outbreak.
“The pop-up testing team at the Traralgon basketball stadium (Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium), they did another 203 tests yesterday,” he said.
“First dose vaccination rates in the Latrobe Valley have closed in on the state average of 91 per cent of people aged 16 and above, while the second dose rate is catching up to 66 per cent.”
The current list of Tier 1 exposure sites in Latrobe City is as follows:
Wyncity Morwell
Friday, October 15, 11am-9pm.
PhysiPole Traralgon
Thursday, October 14, 5.30pm-6.30pm.
Victoria today recorded 2189 fresh cases and 16 deaths.
But with 5.1 million Victorians vaccinated against coronavirus, Premier Daniel Andrews said now was the time to return to normal.
“This is a freedom of movement we‘ve not been able to enjoy for a long time, and that’s all because Victorians have got vaccinated in record time and in record numbers,” Mr Andrews said.
“Not only am I grateful, not only am I proud of Victorians, but I’m able to stand here and make these announcements and, in the coming days and weeks, many, many more announcements, because Victorians have done exactly what we asked them to do.”
