A further 21 people have died from COVID-19 in Victoria after another deadly day of the pandemic.
There were 40,127 new coronavirus cases recorded today as hospitalisations grew to 946 patients and 112 in ICU.
Of the new cases, 21,693 were detected from PCR tests and 18,434 were reported from rapid tests.
For New South Wales, the 21 deaths make it the state’s deadliest day.
But Victoria’s remains September 4, 2020, during the second wave, when 59 people died, with the government announcing more than 50 historical deaths in aged care.
While on October 28 last year, Victoria recorded 25 COVID-19 deaths.
The number of Victorians who have had their booster shot has grown to 18 per cent of the population aged over 18.
As COVID-19 hospitalisations in Victoria increase, the state is being confronted by widespread hospital staff shortages.
A total of 3392 hospital staff and 422 Ambulance Victoria staff were in isolation as of yesterday due to COVID-19 requirements.
However, Premier Daniel Andrews said the number of staff affected was expected to be higher, with the figures having come from self-reported cases.
“Because we’ve got so many cases in the Victorian community, this is so wildly infectious, like any group in the community, there’s a significant number of people who are getting this, have already got it, and others isolating because they live in households.”
