Victoria Reff number has dropped

For the first time since July, we’ve recorded fewer than 200 new cases of coronavirus in Victoria. 

That’s a testament to how hard everyone has worked to follow the restrictions – but I don’t want to get too caught up in one day’s numbers.

This is a marathon, not a sprint – and it’s the longer-term trends we need to watch. That’s why I wanted to show you this.

It’s Victoria’s effective reproductive number – or ‘Reff number’.

Our Reff number hit a high of 1.72 at the end of June. That meant for every 100 people with the virus, another 172 were catching it from them.

Now it’s under one. And the lower the Reff, the faster the daily case numbers will come down – and the fewer people will catch this terrible illness.

But while we’re heading in the right direction, we have to stay the course.

We have to dig deep and see this thing through.

And I have no doubt that as Victorians, we can do it.

Credit: Facebook / Daniel Andrews

What is Reff number?

The number tells the health department, on average, how many people are being infected by each positive case of COVID-19.
Credit: Facebook/ Daniel Andrews