
Victoria reaches coronavirus-free milestone.
Once overrun with almost 8000 active cases, Victoria has today officially eliminated COVID-19.
That is despite elimination having never been the state's official strategy against the highly contagious and deadly disease.
Victoria has instead pursued a suppression plan throughout the pandemic, but has managed to meet the official definition of elimination on Friday.
#BREAKING: WE DID IT! 🍩🍩🍩🍩
— 10 News First Melbourne (@10NewsFirstMelb) November 26, 2020
Victoria has recorded 28 days without a new COVID case. pic.twitter.com/U8gYncZmdB
Health authorities say 28 days with no new cases means the virus has been eliminated from the community, given that period represents two 14-day incubation periods.
The last COVID-19 patient in a Victorian hospital was discharged on Monday, leaving the state without an active case.
Despite this, the Department of Health and Human Services revealed on Thursday afternoon that more virus fragments have been found as part of its wastewater surveillance testing program.
AstraZeneca error clouds vaccine results.
AstraZeneca and Oxford University have acknowledged a manufacturing error raising questions about preliminary results of their experimental COVID-19 vaccine.
A statement describing the problem comes days after the company and university described the shots as "highly effective" and made no mention of why some study participants didn't receive as much vaccine in the first of two shots as expected.
In a surprise, the group of volunteers that got a lower dose seemed to be much better protected than the volunteers who got two full doses.
Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine 'dose error' explained https://t.co/ye1GnbmEqg
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) November 26, 2020