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Coronavirus crisis: Victorian man in 30s becomes youngest Australian to die from COVID-19

The West Australian
VideoVictorian Premier Daniel Andrews gives the coronavirus crisis update for Wednesday.

Victoria has experienced its deadliest day yet, with 15 people dying from coronavirus — including a man in his 30s.

The tragic news comes as Premier Daniel Andrews revealed Victoria had picked up another 725 cases of COVID-19 overnight, a new record for the troubled State.

The previous peak in new cases was 723 recorded on Thursday last week.

Victoria’s death toll now stands at 162 in total, with 13,035 cases confirmed in the State overall.

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Mr Andrews said 12 of today’s 15 deaths were linked to aged care facilities.

The news follows a blunt message from Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who told old anti-maskers who thought they were above the law amid the health crisis to “get real”.

A 26-year-old Victorian policewoman allegedly had her head repeatedly smashed into concrete paving by a woman who refused to wear a mask on Monday night.

The 38-year-old Frankston woman was fined $200 for refusing to wear a mask, charged with multiple offences and released on bail to face court in March 2021.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said officers were regularly dealing with people claiming they are “sovereign citizens” who think they don’t have to follow the rules.

“It’s just about them, it’s actually an arrogant approach. We won’t stand for it,” he told a breakfast television show on Wednesday.

The Prime Minister agreed.

A man walks past a closed Fletcher Jones store in Melbourne.
Camera IconA man walks past a closed Fletcher Jones store in Melbourne. Credit: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

“Get real. This is a difficult time for everybody, I know people are angry and frustrated,” Mr Morrison told Seven’s Sunrise program.

“It is not unreasonable to wear a mask, not unreasonable to do the most basic things around distancing.”

Wearing a mask while outdoors in metropolitan Melbourne has been mandatory since July 22 and in regional Victoria since Sunday.

Metropolitan Melbourne is currently under an 8pm to 5am curfew.

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