Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has dropped a hint on how long people will have to live with one hated Covid rule.
After another 34 people died from the virus in Victoria on Thursday, the Premier revealed masks would likely continue to be mandatory indoors for some time.
“This is a wildly infectious variant and we are being guided by safety, which has never been more important than it is right now,” Mr Andrews said.
“It’s very, very challenging.”
Victorian hospitals remain under extreme pressure despite modelling showing the state has reached its Omicron peak and cases are beginning to fall.
Victoria’s daily Covid numbers eased to 12,157 – with hospitalisations also edging lower.
The figures show there are now 752 infected people in Victorian hospitals, down from 768 on Wednesday, with 82 people in intensive care and 29 on ventilators.
Victoria’s pre-Omicron peak for Covid hospitalisations was 851 in October when the state was battling a surge in Delta infections.
Premier Daniel Andrews said it was still an uphill battle for health workers, who were seeing little reprieve despite a drop in cases.
“There is incredibly pressure on our health system right now despite the fact the numbers are coming down,” he said.
“Despite the fact we seem to have reached the peak, there is still very significant pressure there.”
Thursday’s case update comes amid speculation the elective surgery ban could be lifted as soon as next week after a statewide “code brown” was declared last month.
The potential change was revealed in a letter to doctors from Ramsay Health state manxjmtzywager Austin Willis that detailed that services could increase to 50 per cent of capacity levels.
“We expect to receive formal confirmation of this change by the end of this week and will immediately advise you once this is received so bookings can recommence,” he wrote.
“With surgical restrictions in various forms now in place for four months since the start of October, we understand that this is a challenging and frustrating time for you and in particular for our patients whose much-needed care continues to be delayed.
“We remain hopeful that through ongoing advocacy with our partners, this date can be brought forward and a clear road map provided to remove all ongoing restrictions.”
Mr Andrews on Thursday refused to confirm when any amendments would be made but said discussions were happening.
Meanwhile, more than 93 per cent of eligible Victorians are fully vaccinated, with 41 per cent of adults now having been boosted.
The state has 66,648 active cases, down from 73,886 the previous day, continuing a gradual downward trend.
A total of 5588 PCR tests were taken on Wednesday and 15,920 vaccines were administered at state hubs.
