Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth says Victoria’s rise in COVID-19 – where 19 new cases were diagnosed in the 24 hours to midday on Sunday – is a reminder Australia is not “immune” to the spread of the virus.
“It is a timely reminder that in a population that is non-immune to the virus, to COVID-19, that we will get, from time to time, outbreaks and clusters as we have seen in Victoria,” Dr Coatsworth said.
“In the past week we’ve seen 116 cases diagnosed in Victoria, up from 35, so it is clear that those numbers have increased.
“Those numbers are of concern.
“There are restrictions on how we live that we have really done well in pursuing, but those will continue while we remain non-immune to COVID-19, while there is not a vaccine and not an effective treatment and while cases continue to increase around the world.
“Those restrictions have and will be critically important to the control of the virus.
“Importantly, as well, for those states where restrictions are lifting, that doesn’t imply a lifting of our personal behaviour standards that we have become so used to.”
Image: News Corp Australia
