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Vic cases hit triple digits ahead of lockdown changes

Victoria has added another 120 coronavirus cases, the first time the state has reached triple COVID-19 figures in almost a year.

The last time Victoria’s local COVID numbers exceeded 100 was on September 2 last year, when there were 110 infections.

Of Wednesday’s cases, 64 have been linked to existing virus outbreaks, leaving 56 potential mystery cases, with 56,501 people tested for COVID-19.

Victoria has also had its first deaths in the current outbreak. The health department revealed on Tuesday that two women aged in their 40s and 60s had died at home.

The Ambulance Union’s Danny Hill said paramedics were called to a home in Northcote, in Melbourne’s north, where a woman died on Tuesday as if “it was like any other cardiac arrest case”. He said they were not told people at the house had COVID-19, and did not don appropriate PPE before entering the house.

“If you have that information ahead of time, it gives paramedics time to manage that scene, so that might be getting people out of the room, moving family members away, informing other emergency services before they arrive,” Mr Hill told ABC Radio Melbourne.

“What this highlights is that there isn”t a system in place that ensures all emergency workers are given information about a quarantine site before they attend.”

Also on Wednesday, Premier Daniel Andrews will unveil a roadmap out of the state’s sixth lockdown. It will detail “modest” changes and the number of COVID-19 cases the state can “live with” until 80 per cent of eligible Victorian adults are double vaccinated.

Mr Andrews said on Tuesday that schools would not reopen immediately, although he flagged an announcement to prioritise year 12 students for vaccinations ahead of exams in October.

He also indicated it was too early to allow greater freedoms to the 34.65 per cent of Victorians 16 and over that are fully vaccinated.

State government ministers met into the night on Tuesday to discuss plans put forward by public health officials.

Among changes under consideration are introducing household bubbles and lifting strict lockdown rules for regional Victorians, except in areas affected by outbreaks, such as Shepparton.

News Corp has reported the ban on playgrounds will lift from Friday. The timing of the easing of other restrictions is yet to be confirmed.

Mr Andrews said the national plan would replace the roadmap once Victoria reached the 80 per cent vaccine target set by national cabinet.

-more to come

-with AAP

Topics: victoria
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