Infections, death toll hit records

GREATER Geelong has recorded 12 new cases of coronavirus, as Victoria reported a record daily increase and the state’s deadliest day of the pandemic.

There were 132 active cases reported for Greater Geelong on Wednesday, while there were seven coronavirus inpatients at Geelong hospital, including one in the intensive care unit.

The Department of Health and Human Services had linked 28 coronavirus cases to the outbreak at Golden Farms chicken processing plant in Breakwater.

Four new cases were reported for Colac Otway, which had 91 active cases.

The DHHS had linked 80 cases to the outbreak at the Australian Lamb Company in Colac. Three new coronavirus cases were reported for Golden Plains, which had 12 active cases. One new coronavirus case was reported for the Surf Coast, where there were six active cases. No new cases were reported for the Borough of Queenscliffe.

There were 725 new cases reported statewide, the state’s worst daily increase since the start of the pandemic.

Fifteen further fatalities – including one man in his 30s – were reported for Victoria, bringing the state’s coronavirus death toll to 162.

Ten of the 15 new deaths were linked to known outbreaks in aged care facilities.

Mr Andrews said 122 “mystery” coronavirus cases where health officials were unable to trace how someone contracted COVID-19 were identified in recent days in Victoria.

“I’d say to those communities who say ‘ we haven’t got any cases’ – well, not that we know of. We have significant volumes of mystery cases, another 122 additional community transmission mystery cases; cases where we can’t find out how the person got (COVID-19) or who from.”