Australia Corona Virus

Victoria records 1,179 COVID-19 cases and six deaths

Source: ABCnews

Victoria has recorded 1,179 new COVID-19 infections and six deaths, taking the death toll in the current Delta outbreak to 518.

The new cases were detected from 74,252 test results processed on Tuesday, and take the state’s number of active infections to 11,959.

There are 299 COVID-19 patients in Victorian hospitals, with 43 active cases in intensive care and 18 patients on ventilators.

The state’s new cases and hospitalisations have levelled out in the past week or so, despite the state’s reopening to a near-normal level of restrictions.

According to the Department of Health, 91 per cent of Victorians aged 12 or older have received two doses of a vaccine.

Victoria’s nursing community is mourning the recent passing of emergency department nurse Gillian Dempsey, who died on the weekend after contracting the virus.

The union believes Ms Dempsey, who has been remembered by colleagues as warm, compassionate and caring, is the first Victorian-based hospital worker to die from COVID-19.

Meanwhile, Victorian politicians in the state’s upper house have spent the whole night debating the government’s controversial pandemic bill, which is set to eventually pass parliament with the support of crossbench MPs.