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COVID-19 wave hits Victoria with cases and hospitalisations on rise ...

COVID19 wave hits Victoria with cases and hospitalisations on rise
COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations have sharply risen in Victoria, with the wave of infection concerning health professionals going into summer.

COVID-19 cases are on the rise across the country, with the latest wave of the virus most advanced in Victoria.

Ahead of the busy festive season, health experts are urging people to stay up to date with vaccinations and take steps to protect each other going into the summer.

Shoppers walking through a department store and around a Christmas tree

COVID-19 cases are again ticking up, nearly five years since the pandemic started. (AAP: Diego Fedele)

What's the COVID situation in Victoria?

COVID-19 cases are increasing across the state, jumping 44 per cent in the past month.

Hospitalisations have risen steeply, too. The seven-day hospitalisations average over the past month rose to 197 — a 59 per cent increase on the previous month.

"We are definitely seeing a number of indicators that there are more COVID infections out there in the community," Victorian Chief Health Officer Clare Looker said.

"And we're seeing higher numbers of cases being tested and coming forward, and then of the tests, those tests that are being done, a higher proportion of them are coming back positive."

Dr Looker said the health system was "coping well".

"There's no suggestion of strain at the moment in the system but we continue to watch that," she said.

A white woman with blonde hair and a pink blazer smiles at the camera.

Dr Looker has urged Victorians to help stop the spread of COVID-19 over summer. (ABC Radio Melbourne: Rosa Ritchie)

Dr Looker also said the COVID-19 situation in Victoria was probably more severe than the numbers indicated, with fewer people getting tested than earlier in the pandemic.

"So probably by the time we see that change in the numbers, we're a little bit further into the wave, with the system not quite as sensitive at picking it up," she said.

What's causing the waves?

Chair of epidemiology at Deakin University Catherine Bennett said COVID-19 waves across Australia were occurring about every six months.

"We anticipated a wave in late spring, that's what we saw last year," she said.

"We've unfortunately settled into this two-waves-a-year pattern … a sort of six-monthly pattern.

"We have started to see [the latest rise] particularly in Victoria. NSW not quite so much yet, but even there, we are seeing the latest wastewater testing."

A headshot of a woman with brown curly hair and black glasses.

Catherine Bennett says people should consider getting the new COVID-19 booster. (Supplied)

Health experts say waning immunity from previous vaccinations and the adaptation of COVID-19 variants are reasons COVID-19 cases are again rising.

"It's just reaching that tipping point where there's enough susceptible people in the population and enough pressure from the virus to start to see numbers go up again," Dr Looker said.

"And each new variant is slightly better at escaping previous immunities than the older subvariants."

What variants are circulating?

JN.1, part of the Omicron family of variants, is the dominant strain of COVID-19.

Another omicron sub-variant, XEC, is also on the rise in recent case numbers.

"XEC is also being watched nationally. It's starting to appear in a few more of the test results. But there's nothing to suggest at the moment that either of [XEC OR JN.1] cause any more severe disease that we've seen," Dr Looker said.

A new vaccine designed to protect against JN.1 is due to be available from December 9.

A close up of a hand holding a small vial with a Comirnaty label

The latest Pfizer vaccine targets the Omicron sub-variant JN.1. (ABC News: Che Chorley)

"This new vaccine is good timing," Professor Bennett said.

"For people who are due for a vaccine, who are eligible for a vaccine, as we go into a wave, now is the time to look at it.

"Because it takes a week or two to really give you the benefit, but that would just help protect you in a wave when we're all out and about, everyone is busy, there's a lot of gatherings this time of year — that's why we're concerned about the summer wave."

Should you consider getting a booster?

People who are older and immunocompromised are encouraged to stay up to date with their vaccines, Dr Looker said.

How to stay COVID-safe this festive season

COVID-19 doesn't take a break over the holidays. From shopping to socialising, here's how to avoid getting sick this festive season.

You can check the Health Department's vaccine recommendations and eligibility criteria here.

People 75 years and older are recommended to have their booster every six months.

So too are people who are severely immunocompromised.

People 18 years and older who are not immunocompromised are eligible for a dose every 12 months.

"We're very lucky now to have such good availability of the vaccine … so it's probably best to discuss your situation with [a health professional]," Dr Looker said.

Professor Bennett said getting a booster could be worthwhile for people planning on spending time with family, at big indoor gatherings or travelling.

Calls for caution going into summer

With the festive season just around the corner, Dr Looker said now was the time to be taking extra steps to protect against infection.

"People may be out and about more, they may be mixing in slightly different groups, or perhaps with extended family, and so there is that opportunity for infection to spread a bit more easily at other times of year," she said.

People gather round the table for Christmas lunch

Dining outside or opening windows can help with minimising COVID-19 risk, experts say. (Supplied: Pixabay)

Dr Looker said staying at home and away from social gatherings when sick, gathering outside to socialise, avoiding closed spaces where possible, and staying up to date with vaccinations were all ways to minimise chances of spreading COVID-19.

"And if you do have symptoms, then you need to go out putting on a face mask, particularly if you are going into settings like aged care or health services where you know there's a greater number of people who are susceptible to quite severe disease," she said.

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