Michaela Meade
Two people from Hume and two from Whittlesea have died with COVID-19, as over half of the new cases reported today were in the northern suburbs.
Health Minister Martin Foley said a man in his 80s and a woman in her 50s from Whittlesea, as well as a woman in her 80s and a man in his 70s from Hume were the four deaths recorded in the past 24 hours.
“I take this opportunity to pass on our deepest condolences to the family, friends and communities of those people,” Mr Foley said.
Health department deputy secretary Kate Matson said the geography of new COVID-19 cases “is changing a little bit day to day, but of course the focus is still on the northern suburbs of Melbourne.”
Ms Matson said that of the 867 new locally acquired cases of the virus today, over 50 per cent were in the northern suburbs, with 270 new cases in Hume and 125 in Whittlesea.
The Meadow Heights aged care facility that had been an outbreak of concern over the past week is now linked to 29 cases.
Ms Matson said despite high case numbers, Hume and Whittlesea’s vaccination rates were encouraging.
“Hume and Whittlesea, in the heart of our northern suburbs, have seen the highest level of first dose in the state in the past week,” she said.
“That increase is extremely pleasing, given the number of positive cases in those areas.
“Hume has grown by 9.3 percentage points, and Whittlesea has grown 8.2 per cent.
“That’s well above the state average.”
To find out where to get tested: www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/where-get-tested-covid-19
To book your COVID-19 vaccination: www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/book-your-vaccine-appointment
