There are 717 COVID-19 cases in hospital in Victoria – with 24 active cases in ICU, including 6 on a ventilator, and an additional 6 cleared cases in ICU.
6,284,656 vaccine doses have been administered by Victoria’s state-commissioned services.
68.6 per cent of Victorians aged 16 and over have had 3 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. 94.6 per cent of Victorians aged 12 and over have had 2 doses.
8,689 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded yesterday. This includes 6,821 who tested positive on a Rapid Antigen Test and 1,868 who returned a positive result on a PCR test.
There were no COVID-19 deaths notified to the Department yesterday. The total number of deaths in Victoria since the pandemic began is 4,075.
There are 56,421 active cases in Victoria.
9,233 PCR tests were processed yesterday. The total number of PCR tests performed in Victoria since the pandemic began is 21,547,278.
Updates
Winter dose COVID-19 vaccinations
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) last week expanded the eligibility criteria for winter doses to help reduce severe illness from COVID-19.
The winter COVID-19 dose is recommended for adults aged 50 to 64 and is now available for adults aged 30 to 49 years.
You can receive the winter dose three months after your third dose or after being infected with COVID-19, if the infection has occurred since your third dose.
To find a vaccination provider near you, use the Australian Government’s Vaccine Clinic Finder.
Victoria’s state-run vaccination centres are now targeted to ensure support remains available for Victorians and communities most at risk of serious illness from COVID-19, such as people aged 65 and over, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged 50 and over, people with compromised immunity and people with a disability.
Appointments at state vaccination centres can be booked online at Get vaccinated | Coronavirus Victoria.
Omicron BA.4/BA.5 now dominant in Victoria
The rate of BA.4/BA.5 in clinical genomic surveillance and metropolitan and regional wastewater catchments continues to rise significantly.
BA.4/BA.5 have become the dominant strains in clinical genomic samples, rising to 70 per cent in the two weeks prior to 8 July.
The BA.4/BA.5 sub-lineages were first identified in catchments in April and have since risen from under 5 per cent in late May to an average of 66 per cent across all Victorian wastewater catchments by 4 July.
Case and hospitalisation trends are increasing in Victoria. This is in line with similar patterns globally and in other Australian jurisdictions, which have seen a significant rise in the number of people hospitalised with COVID-19 in recent weeks.
This is because the strains have a greater ability than BA.2 to evade immunity provided by vaccination and earlier COVID-19 infection.
There is no evidence at this stage that the BA.4/BA.5 sub-lineages causes more severe disease, but the Department is closely monitoring the situation.
The Department strongly encourages Victorians to remain up to date with their vaccines, in particular people eligible for third and fourth doses, and to stay home if unwell and test for COVID-19.
The wearing of masks and measures to make indoor air safer will have a significant impact in reducing transmission of the BA.4/5 sub-variants. Masks continue to be strongly recommended in shared indoor settings, if you can’t physically distance or you are with those more vulnerable to COVID-19. Improve ventilation by opening doors and windows, using fans or purifiers, and gathering outside where possible.
Face masks are still required for everyone aged eight and above in some locations, including on public transport, rideshares and taxis, and in sensitive settings such as hospitals and care facilities. They are also required by household contacts in quarantine who meet the criteria for leaving home.
If you test positive on a rapid antigen test, report your result to ensure you have access to the right level of care if you need it. Report your positive RAT
Access to COVID-19 treatments
The Australian Government has expanded the eligibility for COVID-19 antiviral treatments antivirals on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to all people aged over 70 who test positive to COVID, people aged over 50 with two or more risk factors for severe disease, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people aged over 30 with two or more risk factors for severe disease.
