BALLARAT COVID UPDATE, Thursday, October 28
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
NEW CASES: seven (up from six yesterday)
ACTIVE CASES: 64 (up from 62 yesterday)
Ballarat has recorded seven new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to midnight on Thursday.
Of the new cases, five are in the 3350 postcode, one is in the 3352 and one is in 3356.
It means there are now 64 active cases in the city, a number that has hovered between 50 and 75 for almost three weeks.
In Moorabool there were eight news cases, in Golden Plains there were six, Hepburn recorded one case and there were none in the Pyrenees.
IN OTHER NEWS
In other major regional towns, the numbers are far higher than Ballarat.
Geelong (50 new cases/309 active), Bendigo (29 new/239 active), Shepparton (31 new/255 active) and Wodonga (38 new/239 active) are all seeing far greater transmission than Ballarat at the moment.
VICTORIAN COVID UPDATE, Thursday, October 28
NEW CASES: 1923 (up from 1534 yesterday)
DEATHS: 25 deaths (up from 13 yesterday)
ACTIVE CASES: 22,189 (down from 24,164 yesterday)
IN HOSPITAL: 746 (down from 748 yesterday)
IN ICU: 137 (down from 138 yesterday)
ON VENTILATOR: 85 (down from 87 yesterday)
Victoria has recorded 25 deaths from COVID in one day, the deadliest day of the current outbreak so far.
Although new case numbers are remaining relatively steady and hospital rates are falling slightly, the death toll has risen sharply.
There has now been 38 deaths in two days.
It has not yet been revealed how many of the 25 people who died were fully vaccinated.
There were 1923 new cases recorded in the 24 hours to midnight on Wednesday.
More information about the cases will be revealed later today.
In Ballarat, there were six new COVID cases confirmed on Wednesday, although today's figures are yet to be released.
The number of active cases in the city continues to hold firm, however, with 62 cases currently active.
Ballarat surpassed the 80% fully vaccinated mark on Monday, well ahead of the statewide average.
Meanwhile, the country's vaccine advisory group has finalised its advice on whether to formally approve COVID-19 booster shots.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation delivered its final advice to the federal government late on Wednesday.
ATAGI member Professor Allen Cheng said an announcement on the booster approval was imminent.
"The government is considering the parameters of the ATAGI advice, but an announcement will be soon," Professor Cheng told ABC Radio on Thursday.
It comes following the Therapeutic Goods Administration granting provisional approval for the Pfizer booster, which would be given six months after the initial course of the vaccine.
The decision on whether to roll out the booster shots across the country is dependant on ATAGI advice.
The top-up Pfizer shot could be made available to all Australians over 18 in a matter of weeks, regardless of what vaccine they were given previously.
Severely immunocompromised Australians have already been eligible for a third dose.
Prof Cheng said while various jurisdictions have required COVID-19 vaccines in some settings, mandates for boosters would be a matter for states and territories to administer.
"Boosters are the icing on the cake and the most important thing is to get two doses into people to make sure they're protected," he said.
Meanwhile, doctors say a new funding deal is needed to ensure the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine booster program is rolled out properly.
Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid said the government would need to review arrangements for GPs involved in the top-up shot program.
"The government will need to ensure general practice is properly funded to reach out to patients using recall systems and assess patients as well as administer booster shots," he said.
The booster decision comes after the federal government's global 'do not travel' advice was finally removed after Australia closed its borders against COVID-19 last year.
The update to the SmartTraveller website comes ahead of the progressive lifting of international travel restrictions on November 1.
The government is also reinstating country-specific travel advice levels for 177 destinations so Australians looking to go overseas can understand the risks and access travel insurance more readily.
Australia is set to reach an 80 per cent double vaccination rate in a matter of days, ahead of the border reopening on November 1.
"On Monday, Australia will be taking off again as international travel restrictions are lifted," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told parliament on Wednesday.
While fully vaccinated Australians will be able to depart without an exemption, all travellers need to be aware COVID-19 remains an ongoing global health risk, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday.
Tourism Minister Dan Tehan said travel arrangements with New Zealand and Singapore were being finalised.
"We are looking to open up further and further, safely and make sure we can get international travel back to normal as soon as we possibly can," he told the Seven Network.
We have removed our paywall from our stories about the coronavirus. This is a rapidly changing situation and we aim to make sure our readers are as informed as possible. If you would like to support our journalists you can subscribe here.