A Northern Health nurse has shared harrowing details about caring for COVID-19 patients.
Nurse unit manager Jacqui Harper told a press conference on Sunday that she had seen patients go from sitting in a chair to saying their goodbyes within one hour.
“The clinical deterioration is so sad,” she said.
“COVID-19 is a terrible illness, the patients we see coming into our hospitals are seriously, seriously ill.”
Northern Hospital is currently operating three COVID wards in addition to its ICU.
It had 65 COVID patients as of last Wednesday.
Ms Harper said the virus was “affecting younger and younger ages groups”.
“COVID is real … and it’s scary,” she said.
“They find it difficult to breathe, some needing high levels of oxygen, ventilators and ICU support. Many regret not being vaccinated earlier.”
Ms Harper joined Royal Melbourne Hospital nursing unit manager Michelle Spence in calling for all eligible Victorians to get vaccinated.
It comes as the state government yesterday launched walk-up Moderna vaccination clinics at a number of state-run hubs including Plenty Ranges Arts and Convention Centre (PRACC) in South Morang, the former Ford factory in Campbellfield and La Trobe University in Bundoora until Sunday, October 10.
The government also slashed the time between Pfizer doses yesterday, with people now able to receive their second dose three weeks after their first dose.
Premier Daniel Andrews said vaccination was the “best defence” against more pressure being put on healthcare workers.
“All of our health workers are working their guts out to be there for us and they need us all to do our bit and get vaccinated, so we can continue on our pathway to opening,” he said.
The Department of Health reported 1377 new locally acquired cases on COVID-19 Monday from 67,789 tests.
Chief health officer Brett Sutton said 42 per cent of today’s cases were reported in the northern suburbs, primarily in Hume, where 304 cases were recorded.
Professor Sutton said case numbers were beginning to stabilise in Hume, driven by a surge in the municipality’s vaccination rate in recent weeks.
The municipality doubled its vaccination rate in the past month, with more than 80 per cent of Hume residents now having received their first dose.
