Worst day yet: Victoria sets unwelcome new COVID-19 case record

Victoria has recorded its highest daily number of new coronavirus cases since the pandemic began.

Another 532 cases have been added to the state’s COVID-19 case tally.

Six more people — a woman in her 90s, a woman in her 80s, a man in his 80s, a woman in her 70s, a man in his 70s and a man in his 50s —have died with COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

Five of the six deaths are linked to aged care.

There are currently 245 people in Victorian hospitals with coronavirus, including 44 in intensive care.

There are 4542 active coronavirus cases.

A total of 683 active cases have been connected to aged care, up from 560 yesterday.

About 400 health workers currently have coronavirus.

Announcing today’s figures, Premier Daniel Andrews urged Victorians to stay home if they show any symptoms of illness.

“The key message today for every single Victorian … is you simply can’t go to work if you have symptoms. You can’t go to work if you feel sick, even mildly,” he said.

“The lockdown will not end until people stop going to work with symptoms.”

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said “these are very challenging numbers”, and the outbreaks in aged care are “disturbing”.

Current major aged care outbreaks:

• 84 cases at St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Fawkner
• 82 cases at Estia Health in Ardeer
• 77 cases at Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping
• 62 cases at Menarock Life in Essendon
• 57 cases at Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth
• 53 cases at Glendale Aged Care in Werribee
• 50 cases at Estia Health in Heidelberg