Coronavirus update for Victoria 10 December 2021

Yesterday, 3,925 vaccine doses were administered by Victoria’s state-commissioned services. The total number of doses administered through state-run services is 4,883,503.

94.2 per cent of Victorians aged 12 and over have now had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 91.9 per cent have had two doses. This excludes the most recent Commonwealth data.

There are 313 COVID-19 cases in hospital in Victoria – 61 active cases in ICU, with 25 of those on a ventilator. There are an additional 43 cleared cases in ICU. Of those in hospital, 61.5 per cent were not fully vaccinated, and of those in ICU, 76.7 per cent were not fully vaccinated.

Victoria was notified of 1,206 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. All cases were locally acquired except for three that were acquired overseas. The 10 Local Government areas with the highest number of new cases are Casey, Hume, Brimbank, Moreland, Whittlesea, Kingston, Bayside, Wyndham, Darebin, Knox.

All locations containing new cases will be published today at Victorian COVID-19 data.

There are 11,145 active cases in Victoria. The total number of confirmed cases in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic is 133,734.

Sadly, the Department was notified yesterday of two deaths of people aged in their 50s and 70s. This brings the total number of deaths in Victoria since the pandemic began to 1,401.

66,784 COVID-19 tests were processed yesterday. The total number of tests performed in Victoria since the pandemic began is 15,792,553.

There are currently more than 27,550 active primary close contacts in isolation in Victoria.

Updates

Omicron cases under investigation in the community

The Department of Health is leading a strong outbreak response to two new confirmed and several suspected cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant in Victoria. This brings to three the number of cases positively identified as the Omicron variant in Victoria, including a returned traveller who was previously identified while in hotel quarantine.

One of the four suspected cases of Omicron identified in the community this week has been confirmed as having the Delta variant, while another two are also likely to be Delta. These cases have no history or link to interstate or overseas travel.

The fourth suspected case has now been confirmed as carrying the Omicron variant. This person is a returned traveller who landed in Melbourne from Dubai on 30 November 2021. A second person on the same flight is also confirmed as positive for the Omicron variant. Genomic sequencing is under way to confirm if a third COVID-positive person on the flight is carrying the Omicron variant.

All other potential contacts who recently arrived in Melbourne on the same flight have been contacted and asked to get a PCR test for COVID-19.

To see the testing and quarantine requirements for international travellers entering Victoria, visit Information for overseas travellers.

All Victorians can play their part in reducing the spread of Omicron – or any other variant – by getting tested the moment they notice symptoms or as soon as they are told they are a contact, and practising COVIDSafe behaviours such as wearing masks and checking in.

COVID-19 vaccination for 5 to 11-year-olds

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has recommended all children aged 5 to 11 years be vaccinated with a paediatric dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The decision follows provisional approval of the vaccine by the Therapeutic Goods Administration this week.

The paediatric Pfizer vaccine, like all other COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Australia, is safe and highly effective, with most side effects mild and transient. Real-world evidence on the safety of this vaccine in children continues to accumulate overseas, with data showing low rates of rare adverse events following immunisation, such as myocarditis.

The recommended schedule for vaccination in this age group is 2 doses, 8 weeks apart. The interval can be shortened in special circumstances to a minimum of 3 weeks, such as in an outbreak response, prior to the initiation of significant immunosuppression or international travel.

The paediatric vaccine will be available from 10 January through family doctors, community pharmacies and state and Commonwealth vaccination clinics.

Anyone with questions about getting their children vaccinated should speak with their family doctor.

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