The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Victoria has risen to 968 after another 51 people were diagnosed with COVID-19 overnight.
Premier Daniel Andrews announced a $1.3 billion funding boost to help the state's health system tackle the pandemic.
The funding will increase the number of intensive care beds in the state from 500 to 4,500.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said it was the biggest expansion of intensive care capacity in Victoria's history.
She also said 9,000 beds were on standby from private hospitals.
"I hope we never have to use them," she said.
Mr Andrews said 32 people were in Victorian hospitals with COVID-19, including six in intensive care.
Community transmissions have increased to 39 and about 47,000 tests had been carried out in the state.
Mr Andrews said the additional funding was to ensure Victoria had "the critical care capacity, the beds, the gowns, the masks, the ventilators, all the equipment, so that we have the capacity to treat many thousands of patients".
But he warned there would never be enough money if people did not adhere to social-distancing measures and "this gets away from us".
Mr Andrews said at least eight fines had been issued for people breaching physical distancing rules and thanked Victoria Police for working in "very challenging circumstances".
He said the fines were issued to people who breached the two-person rule and others who left their home before finishing 14 days of quarantine.
"The fines are steep. They are a very significant cost if you get caught, and you will get caught if you're doing the wrong thing.
"But ultimately no gathering, no party, no choice that you make is worth someone else's life."
He said Victoria had to do "everything we can" to avoid the huge death tolls and strain on health systems seen in places like Italy and Spain.
There are 951 returned international travellers quarantined in Melbourne hotels, including 141 who arrived in the past 24 hours.
Mr Andrews said the social distancing measures implemented in Victoria were making a difference.
"It is helping us to suppress the total number of cases, to flatten the curve as we sometimes say, to protect our health system and to save lives," he said.
"So yes it's a lot, but it means a lot as well, and it is achieving what we want to see happen, and that is to say whilst there are still more cases each day, we're not seeing the scenes and the kind of growth in cases that so many other parts of the world are experiencing right now."
Mr Andrews said he wanted to pass on his thanks to "everyone who's working right across the health system", from staff doing contract tracing at the Department of Health and Human Services to doctors, nurses, cleaners and cooks.
"The whole team are doing a fantastic job," he said.
More to come.
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Coronavirus cases in Victoria near 1,000 as Government announces $1.3 billion boost to health system - ABC Local"
Post a Comment