BALLARAT COVID UPDATE | Tuesday, January 18
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NEW CASES: 124 (down from 211 yesterday)
ACTIVE CASES: 973 (down from 1118 yesterday)
Ballarat has recorded 124 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to midnight Monday, the third day in a row new cases have fallen.
Active cases have also fallen back below 1000, with 973 ongoing as of Tuesday. On monday, that figure was 1118.
70 of the new cases are in the 3350 postcode, which currently has 564 active infections.
In neighbouring areas:
- 54 new cases, 314 active cases in the Moorabool Shire
- 23 new cases, 193 active cases in the Golden Plains Shire
- 22 new cases, 63 active cases in the Hepburn Shire
- 7 new cases, 34 active cases in the Pyrenees Shire
The cases comes as Victoria declares a 'code brown' emergency across all Melbourne hospitals and six regional hospitals, including Ballarat.
VICTORIAN COVID UPDATE | Tuesday, January 18
NEW CASES: 20,180 (down from 22,429 yesterday)
DEATHS: 22 (up from 6 yesterday)
ACTIVE CASES: 235,035 (down from 245,040 yesterday)
IN HOSPITAL: 1,152 (down up from 1,229 yesterday)
IN ICU: 127 (down from 129 yesterday)
ON VENTILATOR: 43 (up from 38 yesterday)
Victoria has recorded 20,180 COVID-19 cases and 22 deaths.
The new infections confirmed by the health department on Tuesday include 11,747 from rapid antigen tests and 8433 from PCR tests.
It is the second consecutive day case numbers have declined in the state.
It brings the total number of active cases in the state to 235,035 - a fall of about 10,000 cases since Monday.
There are 1152 patients in hospital, a decrease of 77 on the previous day.
The number of people in ICU has decreased by two to 127, though 43 people are now on ventilation, an increase of five.
In Ballarat, there are currently 10 people being treated in hospital, according to Ballarat Health Services.
This number is expected to be released to the public on a weekly basis.
According to Monday's figures, there were 1,118 active cases in Ballarat, with 211 new cases confirmed on Monday.
However, that number is certain to be much higher as rapid tests do not count towards the location data.
\Meanwhile, Ballarat pharmacists have revealed when they expect to start receiving more rapid tests to be made available to the general public.
Meanwhile, infectious disease experts have warned it may still be some time before it's known the peak of the Omicron outbreak has passed.
While various chief health officers have said COVID-19 case numbers linked to the new variant are starting to plateau, leading epidemiologists have said it may take two to three weeks to get a more accurate picture.
Associate professor Sanjaya Senanayake from the Australian National University said hospitalisation data would be key in determining when the peak had passed.
"The numbers that the chief health officers are telling us every day about their state or territory are likely to be very inaccurate because there's just so much Omicron out and about and a lot of asymptomatic Omicron," he told the Nine Network.
"We do know there's a delay from a case to a hospitalisation by two or three weeks, and because of delays in testing."
He said South Australia had already reached the peak of Omicron, based on hospitalisation figures.
As the wave continues, people will rely on rapid antigen tests more to attend school and work safely.
Professor Senanayake said supply was critical in those settings.
"It's clearly obvious now that rapid antigen tests are key to keeping our society functioning," he said.
"If governments can get enough tests, then I think it is worthwhile using it in the school model."
Unions are also threatening strike action due to shortages of rapid tests and inadequate COVID safety measures.
It comes after an emergency meeting convened by the Australian Council of Trade Unions on Monday.
ACTU secretary Sally McManus said some employers had tried to force employees to come to work while they are COVID positive.
"That's the type of example where workers do have a right to stop work and not work in situations where they're being put in danger," she told the Nine Network.
"We also need to upgrade our safety measures because this is Omicron, not Delta, and the thing is, you can't be sort sighted about this."
The unions have also called for the federal government to provide rapid tests to workers for free.
Unions are also reserving their rights to cease work or ban unsafe practices if employers fail to act.
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