‘Tragic’: Victorian teenager dies with Covid and ‘a number’ of other conditions

A 15-year-old girl is among Victoria’s seven Covid-19 deaths overnight, while the number of cases in the state’s hospitals has surged. Covid testing commander Jeroen Weimar would not comment on the circumstances of the girl’s death, only saying she had a number of conditions and contracted the virus. “A 15-year-old has very sadly passed away, we believe with a number of conditions, but she was Covid positive,” Mr Weimar said on Saturday. “It is a very sad and tragic case, we won’t be making a more comments on her, but we will send our best wishes to her family and the family of all those who have lost their lives with Covid, particularly in the last 24 hours.” There are currently 798 people in hospital, which Mr Weimar said was a notable increase. The hospitalisations include 163 people in intensive care, and 160 of those are on a ventilator. Of those people in hospital on Friday, 89 per cent were not fully vaccinated, and of those in intensive care, 96 per cent were not double jabbed. “That is a significant jump in the last 24 hours, and we think it really reflects the increase in cases we have seen in the last 10 days, 14 days or so,” Mr Weimar said. Victoria recorded 1993 new locally acquired cases overnight, including 168 new cases in regional Victoria, and Mr Weimar said there was significant growth in cases across Melbourne’s southeast. Infections are being detected in the suburbs of Hampton Park, Cranbourne North, Clyde, Narre Warren, Dandenong, Noble Park and Keysborough as well as Frankston and Cardinia. Mr Weimar said cases were continuing to spread like wildfire within and between households. “We are seeing continued growth of household to household transmission across a number of different communities,” he said. “I think increasingly what we have to be aware of, is that all those day-to-day behaviours that we all want to do, but which are not things that we can afford to do, are all enabling the virus to spread. “Again, I urge people, if you are in the southeast, just recognise the level of Covid infections we are seeing around here, and if you have not been vaccinated yet, please get that done.” Well over two-thirds of the cases Victoria had yesterday were among people not vaccinated at all. Mr Weimar said there would be “isolated individuals” who would refuse a Covid vaccination and would need to find an alternative career choice as their sectors and companies mandate the jab. His comments come a day after the state mandated vaccines for essential workers. But Mr Weimar said he believed the “vast majority of Victorians” thought getting vaccinated in the current climate was reasonable. “I would urge those individuals to please consider what we’re asking you to do is no different to what we’re asking all Victorians to do, which is to protect themselves and the community.”