Source: ABCnews
Victoria has recorded 1,143 new cases of COVID-19 and three deaths.
The cases were detected from 62,883 test results and bring the state’s total number of active cases to 10,944.
The figure is a smaller increase than Thursday’s record leap of 1,438 new cases.
The release of today’s figures was later than usual, with the health department issuing a 9:20am tweet to flag the numbers were “slightly delayed”.
On Thursday afternoon, Melbourne GP Catherine Orr took to social media to note the “positive notification website” had crashed.
“Might be a delay in numbers tomorrow if we can’t enter data,” Dr Orr said.
Announcement on construction reopening anticipated
Premier Daniel Andrews said a high number of illegal household gatherings over the AFL grand final weekend had resulted in the dramatic jump in case numbers announced on Thursday.
“Actual interviews tell us that many hundreds of people, perhaps thousands of people … have made choices that they’re spending time not in their own home, but in someone else’s home. That’s how this virus spreads,” he said.
Health authorities have asked anyone who attended a gathering last weekend to immediately get tested.
The state has this week hit one of its milestone vaccination targets, with 80 per cent of the 16+ population having received at least one vaccine dose.
The government has announced it will halve the interval for Pfizer vaccinations at state-run hubs from six to three weeks starting from Monday, following supply guarantees from the Commonwealth.
Mr Andrews has indicated there will be an announcement today on reopening construction industry, nearly two weeks on from the suspension of the sector in Melbourne and other locked down areas.
He said the industry would resume at 25 per cent capacity once the shutdown was lifted.
