Chief Health Officer, Victoria
@VictorianCHO
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Official account of the Office of the Victorian Chief Health Officer. Owned by @VicGovDH. Tweets prior to 1/1/25 shared by previous CHO.
Joined October 2019
I love freedom. Who doesn't love freedom? I want freedom from being amongst the over 4 million official (and likely 10 million actual) COVID deaths globally. And freedom from being amongst the over 13 million current active cases. Or millions of current Long COVID cases. 1/.
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Reported yesterday: 0 new local cases and no new cases acquired overseas. - 17,612 vaccine doses were administered .- 30,117 test results were received . More later:
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Look what I just arrived home to. Well done Victoria. What an amazing State we live in and what an amazing achievement by all. Thank you. š©šŗ
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I think I've been pretty calm over the last 16 months and I hope I've always been respectful. But I *will* get fired up when contact tracers are attacked. They do extraordinary work and do it brilliantly. 10,000 contacts found! The false narrative hurts real people, mentally. (1).
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Iām down with COVID. Feeling pretty rubbish, tbh. Razor blade throat and painful cough. Clearly not the same for everyone. Canāt imagine how it might have been - for me - without three doses of vax. Good on science. #winteriscoming.
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One. One-der-ful.
Yesterday there was 1 new case & the loss of 0 lives reported. The rolling 14 day average is down in metro Melb & regional Vic. Cases with unknown source is stable. More info available later today. #COVID19VicData
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11yo Son: Can I buy the Dune book? Me: I need to research if itās age appropriate. Son: Iāve done *my own research*. Itās fine. Me: [triggered].
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Why am I always the *last* person to know that Iāve resigned? š.
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Please remind me - whatās the point of Kyle Sandilands? If you canāt say something constructive, maybe keep quiet?.
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Now is not the time to try to find an imaginary scapegoat. It's the time to support Victorians going through another really tough time. We know what to do now and we'll do it like no other. You've gotta love Victorians for how we support each other. (End).
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Happy New Year, good folk of Victoria. Iāve never felt more a part of this state as in 2020. Weāve had such hard times and challenges but weāve got this. The path forward will be easier. We go into 2021 with such strong public health approaches. A credit to everyone. Thank you!.
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Todayās case has been reviewed and rejected. So thatās a š© day. Or š„Æ day for us public health folk.
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Weāve all had our bad takes in this pandemic, but this takes the biscuit for me. There are actions that simply save lives; simple measures that are about protecting ourselves and others. Masks, ventilation, boosters, testing.
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We can all argue the merits or otherwise of various approaches to managing transmission, but let's not pretend that 'marching for freedom' will actually deliver the precious freedom that we all need and desire. end/.
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The unfathomable bit for me about protestors outside hospitals is that they think nurses and doctors - people whoāve dedicated their lives to helping people - are somehow part of a huge global movement to poison children and adults. Itās bloody astounding.
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This is great. We can, and should, enjoy the outdoors. Safely. Well done.
All Nations Park in Northcote tonight!.This is how you enjoy a spring evening in the park with your household and socially distance šš»šš».#LoveWhereILive .#COVID19Vic .@VicGovDHHS @VictorianCHO
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Some of the behaviour today - when weāre asking people to stay home - has been really crap. Itās hard to change habits and itās hard to see dangers that arenāt apparent yet. But with 3,000 cases of COVID in Australia this week, weāre headed to 100,000 in 2-3 weeks without change.
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In case youāre interested, a few years ago I left Melbourne and moved to. *checks notes*. the Dandenongs.
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Iāll be taking leave from this Thursday for a week. Longest break since January so very grateful to Allen Cheng @peripatetical for stepping in. Keep those š© and those tests coming!.
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I am forever grateful that Australia, in a moment of reckoning, chose to make the country safer from the risk of mass shootings and gun violence. That is a tremendous legacy but not an issue we should ever become complacent about. Thinking of grieving families in the US tonight.
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Thanks bestie. You done good.
After 130 nights asking āwho wants facts?ā-itās time to let go- time to look away from the numbers & reconnect in real life. Vic hitting 80%-we must celebrate that. Itās been a pleasure keeping you informed. Iāll still be here- serving facts-but itās the right time besties ā„ļø
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Donāt risk everything. What we can hold back now means a truly normal summer. Please - Hold. The. Line.
They're the pictures that have health authorities on edge tonight - thousands of mask-free Melburnians flocking to beaches ahead of our warmest weekend in seven months. @paul_dowsley #7NEWS
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14 is a very good number. Home stretch!.
#COVID19VicData: Yesterday there were 14 new cases and the loss of 5 lives reported. The 14 day rolling average & number of cases with unknown source are down from yesterday as we move toward COVID Normal. Info: #COVID19Vic
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13,479 tests today. Well done to all these nostrils.
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āWowā is right. We really are surprising the world with what weāve been able to achieve and how to keep it that way.
How a pro, (@serenawilliams) handles and responds to quarantine in Adelaide, Australia. @AustralianOpen @colbertlateshow #LSSC @10NewsFirst
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Living in the Dandenongs, I realise just how useful it will be to know sign language for āstartled naked by a deerā.
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For only $14,990 less than Pete Evansā harmonic subtle energy machine, you too can be protected from #COVID-19. Just #StayHomeSaveLives.
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If we only care about ourselves, these actions are *still* a great idea. They protect us. An Omicron wave is coming and will be very, very challenging. Letās do all we can now to navigate it. For the millionth time - COVID is not a ālittle fluā.
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Omicron is not mild. We would not be better off by getting deliberately infected. Get boosted. Get vaxxed. Get tested. Mask up.
I think when you have 58 COVID deaths in one day across just 2 states, the āOmicron is mildā argument is pretty well done.
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Crushing it, Victoria.
Reported yesterday: 0 new local cases and 0 new cases acquired overseas. - 19,623 vaccine doses were administered .- 24,247 test results were received. More later: #COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData
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This is the quaddie we want for the last 4 days: 0,0,0,0.
Once again, there were zero new cases and zero lives lost in the last 24 hours. The 14 day average remains at 1.9 and there are 2 cases with an unknown source. More info: . #COVID19VicData
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Jeroen āno nonsenseā Weimar has been an absolutely stellar Covid Commander. Over every detail of a huge and complex response that never really hit pause. Giving you huge thanks, Jeroen, and wishing you well for the next adventure.
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38.1 per cent of Victorians 18 plus have had three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Over 60% for those most at risk. But that leaves a lot of people still not sufficiently protected. If we don't see more, I might ensure that James Blunt gets played on repeat on all Public Transport.
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How sweet it is. A testament to Victorians who endured and succeeded in a monumental task. Something to be so, so proud of.
Weāre happy to confirm that there were 0 new cases, 0 lost lives and 0 active cases reported yesterday. 9,960 test results were received ā thank you, #EveryTestHelps. More detail: #StaySafeStayOpen #COVID19Vic
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Ok. Facts. Official CHO prize for COVID (and Olympic) reporting.
Who wants facts?. Victoria - youāre up first sis. We see you and your numbers. 11 cases / 11 were in iso *mic drop*.All linked *lip pout*.Cases total = 169.
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Why is getting to very low/no cases and keeping them there so important? The graph below is of Switzerland. Three cases on June 3 and now 10,000 per day and rising exponentially. If you don't crush this virus, it could crush you.
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Victoria has again delivered more vaccines today than any other Australian jurisdiction. And more in total through State hubs than anywhere else. On the way to 90% double-dosed and beyond. Protecting lives every single day. š.
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Having seen the horrific health consequences of war in Afghanistan, I am appalled at the unfolding situation in #Ukraine today. There is no moral defence for such tragedy.
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There's no question - none at all - that we have to focus on and respond to the emergencies in front of us. Fires, floods, and now Japanese Encephalitis have all challenged us in recent years. But we MUST address an underlying driver here - climate change - and act urgently. 1/2.
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This is rightly worthy of celebration. After the toughest year for many Victorians, itās important to recognise this achievement. It took all of us to get here and it was a long and painful journey but we held the course. I canāt thank Victorians enough for that.
Congratulations Victoria, 28 consecutive days of 0 new cases reported š.Yesterday there were 0 lives lost and 9,828 test results received. There are 0 active cases. More detail: #StaySafeStayOpen #COVID19VicData
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Good to be back on this platform to talk public health. Iāll tweet some (longish) threads in coming days on COVID (of course!), MPX/monkeypox, vaping, climate and more. In the meantime, key message is that weāre in the midst of a damned COVID wave again and #CovidIsNotOver. 1/2.
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Very proud of my kids for getting COVID vaxxed today. Two very brave and one real screamer š¤£ But all happy now and well on the way to good protection.
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Good news. The two international travellers from Germany have returned a second negative test for COVID-19 tonight. Their close contacts will now be informed that they can be release from quarantine.
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16,914 tests today. Keep it up #melbourneaustralia.
Once again, yesterday there were 0 new cases and 0 lives lost. The 14 day average is 0.9, there are 2 cases with unknown source. More info here and later today
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Thinking of Afghans and many local colleagues over the years at this awful time.
Article from 20 years ago. Prof Brett Sutton working in Afghanistan. Quite a read.
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No, he most certainly did not.
CheckMate: Did Brett Sutton really admit that COVID-19 vaccines never worked?
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Couldnāt have done it without you, Allen. And all Victorians!.
There were no reported cases of COVID in Australia in the community yesterday. This isn't anywhere near over, but a whole lot better than where we've come from.
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Long COVID doesn't make you free - debilitating fatigue, ongoing shortness of breath, neurological and psychiatric symptoms for weeks to months. We've avoided a huge potential burden of illness in Australia but the 30,000 cases we've had still represents so much suffering. 2/.
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Meet Jabba the bus: GV Health vaccination vehicle hits the road in Australian first. Gold medal for naming this one.
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Hard to know what to say on a day like today, but #Thankyou seems not enough, but the most appropriate, by far. Through the toughest of times, we've here now. And I hope it means we can start to enjoy many things we've missed out on for so long - especially seeing loved ones. .
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That's not a reason a 'give up'. Letting infections potentially overwhelm our health system will cause illness and death at an awful scale. It also impacts civil liberties and it's hugely damaging to the economy to have widespread transmission. See: 4/.
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Right now in Victoria, if youāre over 60 and unvaccinated and you get COVID, youāve got a 1 in 35 chance of ending up on a ventilator in ICU. And if vaccinated? About 1 in 244.
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Terrific work from a tireless and highly respected CHO. Well done Kerry.
Currently watching NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant talking to TikTok influencers about the Sydney lockdown - which is a phrase I didnāt expect to have to say in 2021, but here we are (currently 11,000 people watching)
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Thanks so much Allen. Enjoy the resignation. I mean break.
Time for a few days off! Thank you Victoria for all your efforts in suppressing this second wave, and please stay safe. I'll be signing out for a bit.
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Sleepwalking into COVID is not a strategy I would recommend. Still much remains uncertain.
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Tough days in Victoria. A really difficult time ahead. But weāve been through this before and we know we can do it. We know what works. Letās stick together and help each other through. Thanks for all youāre doing. #StayHomeStaySafe.
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When we prevent illness, the argument seems to go that there isn't really an issue, so why the restrictions? But this pandemic is far, far from over. New variants could still be catastrophic for much of the world - Australia included. They are hugely challenging to manage. 3/.
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Thank you, good folk of Victoria. In the immortal words of Jeff Fenech, I love youse all!.
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Iāve known Ahmad for over 30 years. A surgeon of great intellect and integrity. Please listen to his plea.
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Donāt know what you call a selfie post-vaccine. But hereās my #vaxxie and couldnāt be happier. Caring, professional and efficient approach of everyone at the Royal Exhibition Buildings, especially the ā¦@StVincentsMelbā© staff. Thank you!
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Thank you, thank you, thank you all testing sites, path labs and everyone who stepped up to test. Remember, you can still test during this lockdown. Mildest of symptoms? Just test.
Reported yesterday: 5 new local cases and 2 new cases acquired overseas (currently in HQ). - 21,626 vaccine doses were administered.- 56,624 test results were received. More later: . #COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData
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Lots of vaccination talk tonight. Good news out of Victoria - 58% of Aboriginal Victorians have has one dose of COVID vaccine; 22% fully immunised. Compares to 34/14% for total population. And 98% of people completing their Pfizer schedule. Good signs!.
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Thanks for the good wishes, folks. Much better today. š§µ While Iāve got youā¦please note that COVID will not be the only challenge this winter. Influenza is clearly picking up significantly right now. And RSV, adenoviruses, enteroviruses, rhinoviruses and other coronavirusesā¦.
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Difficult decision for ATAGI today. I got AZ vaccine in April and very glad I did. And now booked online for 2nd dose in July. Risk of TTS with second dose is even lower/rarer and Iām very keen to be fully protected against COVID.
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Tweeps - Iām on leave for a month. You may see Prof Ben Cowie on here in my absence. Go well, #maskup & get your winter dose. Hope you dodge that damn virus, but if not, report those RATs to be on a care pathway. Oh, and enjoy that Vegemite. šš.
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Of today's four cases, two are weak positives and may be deemed not to be true cases by the expert panel. One case appears to be historical/recovered. And one case under investigation.
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Wow. Today Victoria hit 82% of 12+ fully vaccinated. Or 70% of the total population. We're well on the way to higher coverage as 2022 approaches. Highly vaccinated countries are still facing challenges but simple additional measures (masks, ventilation) will help keep us safe.
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None of this is easy. We are working so hard for a pathway out and we are making progress. Testing, tracing, vaccination, and all the sacrifices we are making will help get us there.
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28 days. Effective elimination, again. How good to see another day of no community transmission. š.
Yesterday there were 0 new cases reported - it has now been 28 days since our last locally acquired case. 16,142 test results were received, thanks, #EveryTestHelps us #StaySafeStayOpen. More later: #COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData
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My advice to the Victorian Government was and continues to be that to slow the spread of coronavirus, schools should undertake remote learning for term two. 1/3.
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Whatās the story with masks with valves? Well, they shouldnāt be used for COVID protection. It allows the wearer to breathe out more easily and stops moisture build-up, but the problem is that it allows you to breathe out virus if youāre infected.
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Todayās single case is a low positive and in isolation. Result will go through expert panel review today.
In the past 24 hours, there has been 1 new case reported and no lives lost. The 14 day average is down to 2.4, and there are 2 cases with unknown source. More info: #COVID19VicData
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Amazing! No local government area left behind. This is how you do it. Well done Regional Victoria.
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To be absolutely clear, delays in cluster investigations are not about the response, which is immediate. We need everyone to be honest about who their close contacts are, where they work, and where theyāve been. Every time. For everyoneās sake. 1/2.
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This is a good-looking tile. Letās keep it that way! #EveryTestHelps.
Yesterday there were no new cases reported. 39,258 test results were received. Thank you to those who got tested - #EveryTestHelps. More later: #COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData
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Can only feel grateful for these 59 days free of community transmission. My extended family in the UK going through some tough times, anxiously awaiting vaccine rollout.
Yesterday there were 0 new local cases & 0 lives lost. 0 new cases were acquired interstate, 2 international. There are 11 active cases in quarantine or self-isolation. 5,880 test results were received. #COVID19Vic
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If ever there were a demonstration of the need to act immediately, this is it. Amazing work yesterday and overnight to link everyone here and to quarantine contacts. We'll get ahead of this. Check exposure sites, get tested, stay home. Support each other.
Reported yesterday: 29 new local cases and 0 new cases acquired overseas. - 22,335 vaccine doses were administered .- 43,618 test results were received.More later: #COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData [1/2]
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@CaseyBriggs Heās resigned to keeping three children occupied with messy craft, a 1000 piece puzzle and LEGO dinosaurs. š¤Ŗ.
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So buckle up, #MaskUp, getting a vax if due for any and make a plan with your GP if youāre eligible for antivirals. And knowing that #COVIDisAirborne, please meet outdoors; open doors and windows if inside and consider HEPA filters if ventilation is inadequate. More soon. š 2/2.
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Our enormous thanks to you, Allen. Brilliant work.
I've been off Twitter for a few months, but just a brief note to confirm that I've completed my secondment to the Victorian Dept of Health and will be resuming my usual roles at Alfred Health and Monash University.
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Donāt wait. Vaccinate. Any vaccine, but get it now.
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 significantly reduces your chance of going to hospital. Of people with COVID-19 who are currently being treated in hospital, almost all of them are unvaccinated and none of them are fully vaccinated.
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Well done Regional Victoria. You got there. Weāre all with you.
#COVID19VicData: Yesterday there were 42 new cases reported and 0 lives lost. Our thoughts are with all affected. The 14 day rolling average & number of cases with unknown source are down from yesterday as we move toward COVID Normal. Info: #COVID19Vic
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Random thought. Could we put #boomers stickers on our vaccines and get Andrew Gaze and Patty Mills to man our hubs? Worth a try?.
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All Australian COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, but Moderna may be a nose in front due to its longer-term immunity. Let your mates and loved ones know they can walk up (without a booking) to any of the following centres to get Moderna, until Sunday:.(1 of 3).
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Important story here - only wish The Age opinion writers would listen to their medical writers! COVID Victoria hospitals: Inside Sunshineās ICU ward, only Maria is vaccinated as other die in disbelief
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Hearing lovely stories of people visiting friends, family and loved ones across the āring of steelā. Please enjoy for today and many, many more to come @LaTrioli.
Yesterday there were 0 new cases and 0 lives lost reported. 10,653 test results were received. There are 4 active cases. There are 2 cases with unknown source. More info: #COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData
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Almost 14% of kids 5-11 have received a COVID-19 vaccine in Victoria. Great uptake in just a week. My three are all getting it in a few days. Even one dose protective against severe illness. One of many mitigations (HEPA, masks, RATs) needed for return to school.
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Aaaaand, a negative result. Thanks for all your kind wishes. I think colds are making a comeback as school returns. But #EveryTestHelps, right? Thinking of the quarantine workers who did exactly the right thing. š
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Very, very welcome.
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