Victorian COVID-19 hospitalisations rise to 861 as 37,994 new cases, 13 deaths reported
ABCThe number of COVID-19 patients in Victorian hospitals has hit a new pandemic high, as the wave of Omicron infections continues to place pressure on the healthcare system. Key points: There are more than 170,000 active cases in Victoria, sending thousands of workers into isolation Health services are struggling to maintain staffing as COVID-19 hospitalisations continue to rise The Premier says no health worker is being asked to do things that are unsafe for them or their patients There are now 861 COVID-19 patients in hospital, with 117 patients in intensive care and 27 on ventilators. "It is a relatively small number of people who are gravely ill," he said, noting the measures Victorians were already taking to isolate and get vaccinated were preventing hospital cases from hitting "unsustainable" levels. When asked about reports some Australian healthcare workers were being pressured to return to work after testing positive to COVID-19, Mr Andrews said he would seek more information from the department but "no one's being asked to do anything that isn't safe for them and for the patients they'd be caring for". Last week, the government announced healthcare workers who were household contacts of positive cases would be able to return to work under "very strict" infection prevention measures.