Australia Corona Virus

Victoria records 996 new COVID-19 cases and nine deaths

Victoria has recorded 996 new COVID-19 cases and nine deaths.

It is the fourth consecutive day the state has recorded fewer than 1,000 new cases.

There are now 14,260 active cases of the virus in Victoria, and 433 people have died during the current Delta outbreak.

The new cases were detected from 72,010 test results received yesterday.

It comes as Victoria’s upper house looks set to pass new pandemic legislation, with debate continuing well into last night.

The government has agreed to several amendments to the controversial bill, including halving fines and releasing public health advice within a week.

The proposed laws have faced heavy criticism, with protesters spending days camped out on the steps of Parliament to oppose the bill.

Debate over the legislation will resume in the upper house on Thursday.

Around 87 per cent of Victorians aged 12 or older are now fully vaccinated, as the state inches closer to its next vaccination milestone.

Once 90 per cent of eligible people are vaccinated, which is expected to happen around November 24, mask and density rules will be relaxed around Victoria.

There are 357 people in hospital with COVID-19, of whom 58 are in intensive care and 35 are on a ventilator. 

The health department said another 65 people were in the ICU, but had been cleared of COVID-19.

There were 6,692 doses of vaccine given at state-run centres yesterday, as well as more vaccinations at GP clinics and other venues.