COVID-19 testing commander says Victoria is on track to ‘smash’ first dose target

Victoria’s COVID-19 testing commander Jeroen Weimar says the state is on track to “smash” its initial vaccine target.

September 23 was the original date flagged for Victoria to have 70 per cent of over 15s jabbed with at least one dose of vaccine.

Mr Weimar says “we’re starting to really get ahead of that date”.

“We think we’ll smash that by quite a few days.”

It comes as the state recorded 334 new local COVID-19 cases yesterday.

Sadly, a Coburg man in his 70s has died with the virus.

Of the new cases, 185 have not yet been linked to known outbreaks or cases.

There are currently 127 people in Victorian hospitals with COVID-19, an increase if 16 since yesterday.

There are 33 people in intensive care and 21 on ventilators.

Of the cases in hospital yesterday, 90 per cent were not vaccinated, 10 per cent had one dose of vaccine and none were fully vaccinated.

There are now 2426 active coronavirus cases across the state.

Of the current active cases, 85 per cent are under 50.

There were 39,027 vaccine doses administered at state-run hubs yesterday and 42,998 test results received.

Of the 334 local cases, 149 have so far been linked to known cases and outbreaks. Further case information will be provided this morning. [2/2]

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) September 9, 2021

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