COVID-19 Update: More elective surgeries from next week in Victoria

This is your update on COVID-19 in Australia for February 16.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Source: AAP Image/James Ross

• More elective surgeries will take place from Monday 21 February in Melbourne and regional Victoria, with a view of re-establishing the 100% capacity the following week, if COVID-19 patients in hospital continue to decrease.
• "With hospitalisations steadily declining and staff availability improving, we're in a strong position to remove the remaining restrictions" said the Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley.
• "All of these rules are being reviewed, and I look forward to making some positive announcements soon", said the Victorian premier Daniel Andrews this morning.
• Infections among Queensland children continue to increase but Health Minister Yvette D'Ath reassures "schools are still managing very well" and no quarantine or closure has been necessary.
• "Vaccination has completely changed the face of this disease" said Queensland's Chief Health Officer John Gerrard, saying that what role COVID-19 plays in leading to the deaths reported daily is often hard to determine.
• The Australian Medical Association and the Nursing and Midwifery Union are calling for a code brown to be formally declared in the Northern Territory.

Covid-19 Australian Stats

New South Wales reported 1,478 patients hospitalised with 92 in intensive care. There were 27 deaths, and 10,463 new cases of COVID-19.

In Victoria, 397 people are in hospital with 68 in ICU and 13 on ventilators. There were 18 deaths and 8,149 new infections.

In Queensland, there were 6,596 new COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths. In the public hospital system there are 404 patients with COVID-19, in addition to 28 patients in private hospitals, with a total number of 38 patients in intensive care.

Tasmania has recorded no deaths with 625 new COVID-19 cases. 13 people are in hospital with COVID-19, two of them in ICU.

For measures currently in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in your language, visit here.

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A number of states have set up RAT registration forms

• Victoria
• NSW
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Northern Territory
• ACT

Quarantine and restrictions state by state

Find out what you can and can't do in your state or territory

Travel

Information for international travellers and Covid-19 and travel information in language

Financial help

There are changes to the COVID-19 Disaster Payment once states reach 70 and 80 per cent fully vaccinated:  Getting help during Covid-19 from Services Australia in language

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• News and information over 60 languages at sbs.com.au/coronavirus
• Relevant guidelines for your state or territory: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, ACT, Tasmania.  
• Information about the COVID-19 vaccine in your language.

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Visit the translated resources published by NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service

COVID-19 Vaccination Glossary

Appointment Reminder Tool.

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Testing clinics in each state and territory

NSW 

Victoria 

Queensland 

South Australia 

ACT 

Western Australia 

Tasmania

Northern Territory