Latest: More surgeries suspended as Victoria records a dip in new coronavirus cases

Elective surgeries except for Category 1 and the most urgent Category 2 procedures will be suspended as the state government moves to free up hospital beds and health workers for aged care residents with coronavirus.

Category 3 surgeries have been suspended at public hospitals across the state for almost two weeks.

More than 100 aged care residents have already been transferred to hospitals across Melbourne, and at least another 50 are expected to be transferred in coming days.

It comes as another 384 people tested positive to coronavirus in Victoria the past 24 hours, a fall from Monday’s all time high of 532 new cases .

Sadly, six more people have died with coronavirus, bringing Victoria’s death toll to 83.

Two of today’s new deaths are people aged in their 90s, three are aged in their 80s and one is aged in their 70s.

Of today’s deaths, four are linked to private sector aged care.

Currently:

• There are 260 people in hospital with coronavirus
• 45 people are in intensive care
• Another 18,521 tests have been conducted in the past 24 hours
• There are 4775 active cases, including 414 health workers and 769 people in aged care

Press PLAY below for today’s announcement + Neil Mitchell’s analysis.

Announcing today’s changes, Premier Daniel Andrews said the move to suspend elective surgeries will free up health care staff.

“It’s appropriate because that will free up beds and it will free up staff. Staff is the biggest issue,” he said.

“It’s not so much about equipment. It’s not so much about capacity in a physical sense. It’s about having staff who are able to provide care and support to the most vulnerable.”

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has warned “today’s numbers are pretty volatile”.

Major aged care outbreaks:

• 86 cases at St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Fawkner (up 2 from yesterday)
• 88 cases at Estia Health in Ardeer (up by 6 from yesterday)
• 82 cases at Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping (up by 5 from yesterday)
• 76 cases at Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth (up by 19 from yesterday)
• 62 cases at Menarock Life in Essendon (no new cases since yesterday)
• 53 cases at Glendale Aged Care in Werribee (no new cases since yesterday)
• 50 cases at Estia Health in Heidelberg
• 40 cases at Outlook Gardens Aged Care in Dandenong North
• 51 cases at Baptcare Wynham Lodge
• 39 cases at Arcare Aged Care in Cragieburn

There are also single cases among aged care staff at several other nursing homes.