New virus cases in Australia surged to record levels on Tuesday, increasing the strain on hospitals and testing centers across country. In New South Wales, Australia’s most-populous state, 23,131 new cases were reported, an increase on record of 22,577 cases on New Year’s Day. There were 1,344 people in hospitals, up 140 on the previous day and 78 more than record previously set in late September. The new cases were detected from 83,376 tests, a positivity rate of 28%.
Victoria state reported 14,020 cases on Tuesday, eclipsing record of 8,577 set on Monday. There were 516 people in hospitals, including 108 in intensive care. The numbers do not necessarily reflect true spread of virus as they only include number of recorded cases. The new numbers, however, confirm that Australia has passed the milestone of 500,000 COVID-19 cases. New South Wales Chief Medical Officer Kerry Chant on Monday urged people not to seek hospital treatment unless absolutely necessary.
