In the past 24 hours, Victoria has reported 331 new cases of coronavirus, and 19 deaths.
Health and Human Services Department of the state revealed the figures in a tweet announcing the similarly deadly day after 19 lives were lost in the 24 hours leading up to Monday as well.
There were 331 new cases of #coronavirus (#COVID19) detected in Victoria in the last 24 hours.
Sadly, 19 deaths were reported.#Covid19VicData pic.twitter.com/bajE79zjUy— VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) August 10, 2020
Victorian officials have advised the state would face even more deaths ahead.
The decline in coronavirus cases in Victoria was “promising,” Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd observed, but said accidents typically occur between seven to 10 days after someone is first infected.
“We are seeing the first promising signs of a reduction in daily numbers of cases, but it is too early to be certain,” Prof Kidd said at a press conference on Monday.
“We need to follow the numbers very closely over the coming week.
“While it‘s heartening to see the declining number of cases being reported each day from Victoria – and we have seen that over the past five days – while we still have hundreds of cases being reported each day, we will continue to have people admitted to hospital and people becoming gravely unwell. And sadly some of those people will die.
“We are now at the end of the first week of these stage four restrictions in Victoria.
“And so what we hope we will see over the coming week is the number of new infections each day will continue to decline hopefully.
“There is a 7-10 day lag between the daily reports in numbers of cases and people dying, some people sadly die very early in the course of COVID-19, but for many people it is a week or more after they have been infected that we see people who are gravely unwell.”