By Alesha Capone
Two Wyndham residents have died after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
Deputy Premier James Merlino announced the news this morning, saying that those who passed away were a woman aged in her fifties and a man aged in his seventies.
Another Victorian man, a Darebin resident aged in his eighties, has also died as a result of the coronavirus.
“We pass on our deepest condolences to their family and their friends,” Mr Merlino said.
Victoria was notified of 628 new cases of COVID-19 today.
There are 6223 active cases of the virus in Victoria, including 257 people in hospital, 58 of these in intensive care and 37 patients on a ventilator.
A total of 349 residents of the 3029 postcode (Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit and Truganina) have COVID-19 at present.
More than 120 people living in the 3030 postcode (Werribee, Point Cook and Werribee South) have the coronavirus, along with 37 residents in the 3024 postcode (Mambourin, Manor Lakes, Mount Cottrell and Wyndham Vale) and 19 people in Williams Landing.
Forty-seven new cases of the virus were diagnosed in the Wyndham municipality yesterday, lower than the 242 new cases in Hume, 56 new cases in Moreland and 53 new cases in Whittlesea.
More than 72 per cent of Victorians aged 16 and over have now had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and almost 44 per cent have had both.
At midday today, there were more than 760 published exposure sites across Victoria.
Mr Merlino also announced the state government would spend more than $190 million in anti-COVID-19 initiatives to help schools as they re-open next term.
From the start of term four, 51,000 air purification devices will be rolled out to all government and low-fee non-government schools to remove potentially infectious particles – like the coronavirus – from higher-risk areas in schools including staff rooms, sick bays and music rooms.
“I know Victorian families can’t wait to see their kids back in the classroom – but we need to keep them safe once they’re there, and we’re delivering ventilation devices to prevent as much transmission on school sites as possible,” Mr Merlino said.
In addition, 2149 schools will be entitled to a grant of up to $25,000 to purchase shade sails – with $60 million in funding to create more outdoor learning spaces and make it easy for classes to be conducted outside.
Throughout the school holidays and next term, infrastructure audits, ventilation assessments, and CO2 monitoring will continue in a sample of schools to identify any further actions that can be taken to make schools safer
In order to return to work, all staff from schools and early childhood services will be required to have their first COVID-19 vaccination dose by October 18, or have a booking within one week for a jab, with full vaccination required by November 29, unless a medical exemption applies.
For more information see: www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/exposure-sites.
