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Victoria records 1534 new local cases of coronavirus

Anthony PiovesanNCA NewsWire
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Camera IconNot Supplied Credit: News Corp Australia

Victoria has recorded 1534 new locally acquired coronavirus infections on Wednesday as a new area of concern in Melbourne becomes the virus epicentre.

Thirteen more Victorians died from the virus in the past 24 hours, the Department of Health also confirmed.

About 90.8 per cent of Victorians older than 16 had received one jab of the Covid-19 vaccine, while 76 per cent were fully vaccinated.

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Camera IconVictoria has recorded another day of high case numbers. NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled Credit: News Corp Australia

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Victorian chief health officer professor Brett Sutton said case numbers and transmission in Melbourne were stabilising, but called out the city’s southeast as an area of concern for health officials.

He said the local government areas of Casey and Greater Dandenong had the highest number of new cases on Tuesday with 169 and 140.

In regional Victoria, Latrobe had 41 new cases and Wodonga 36.

“Those are some areas with significant activity at the moment,” Professor Sutton said.

“As we open up further on Friday night, there will be more individuals who are infectious going to regional Victoria.”

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Camera IconVictorian chief health officer professor Brett Sutton says case numbers and transmission in Melbourne are stabilising. NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw Credit: News Corp Australia

But Professor Sutton said regional Victoria was protected.

“Regional Victoria has absolutely fantastic first dose coverage and is screaming along for second dose coverage,” he said.

“There is no LGA left behind in regional Victoria. They are all at or above 94 per cent (vaccination) coverage, the great majority of them above 95 per cent first those coverage.

“That is more equitable for a region in any other jurisdiction in Australia.”

A new raft of freedoms will be triggered on Friday at 6pm, when it is expected 80 per cent of Victoria’s eligible population will have had their second dose.

State-wide travel will resume, as well as indoor dining, and the reopening of the retail industry.

Originally published as Victoria records 1534 new local cases of coronavirus

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