Victoria’s daily COVID-19 cases have continued to fall, with 10,053 new infections recorded the day students return to classrooms.
Today’s number is the lowest recorded since early January, after suggestions the Omicron outbreak had likely passed in Victoria.
There are currently 873 people in hospital with the virus, with 33 on ventilators.
A further eight lives have been lost.
Victorian teachers who want to stay in the classroom have just weeks left to receive a COVID-19 booster shot, as most of the state’s schools and kindergartens return today.
Meanwhile, four million rapid antigen tests have been distributed to schools, with the state government having ordered all students and staff must be tested twice a week for the first four weeks of term.
School and early childhood staff have been told they must get a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine by February 25 if they were double dosed by October 25, or by March 15 if they received their second dose of a vaccine after October 25.
Following a push to get children aged five to 11-years-old to get vaccinated before the return to school, 243,833 children in the age group have had at least one dose.
About 38 per cent of Victorians aged 18 and over have had three doses, with more than two million adults eligible for the booster shot.
Yesterday Premier Daniel Andrews warned teachers and education staff would not be the only Victorian workers mandated to get a third dose.
“There has already been some mandating done for third doses and there will be more,: he said.
