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As of today, more than 3,000 people have lost their lives to COVID-19 in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic.
Key points:
- Victoria is the first Australia jurisdiction to pass 3,000 COVID deaths
- Australia's death rate for COVID is one of the lowest in the world at 0.12 per cent
- An estimated 30,000 Victorians have been affected by a COVID death to date
Despite three years of new cases, half of those deaths have happened this year alone.
Leading epidemiologists have long warned that easing restrictions across the state could come with a rise in cases and, inevitably, deaths.
To December 31 last year, a total of 1,525 Victorians had died from COVID-19.
That figure is now 3,012 as 14 more people were today reported to have died with the virus.
Victorian COVID-19 deaths account for the largest share of the more than 7,000 deaths across all states and territories.
Most people who contract the virus make a full recovery in Australia.
In fact, Australia's death rate for COVID-19 is one of the lowest in the world, just 0.12 per cent of people fatally contract the virus.
The United States has a death rate of 0.79, while 18 per cent of people who test positive in Yemen die from the virus.
Experts say the state's high vaccine coverage — 95 per cent of Victorians double dosed and 68 per cent triple vaccinated — is responsible for keeping the figure lower than elsewhere.
Yet, on average, 15 people are dying from COVID-19 each day in Victoria, and 40 people are dying per day nationwide.
Christopher Hall from the Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement said it was important to remember those who have lost their lives are people.
"That represents families and workplaces and communities that have been permanently impacted by the death of somebody within that network," Mr Hall said.
"I think it's easy, perhaps, for people to think that COVID is now a historical event and and that we're moving forward into this post-C0OVID period.
"But, in fact, there are many people who will continue to live very much in that COVID period."
Victorian family remembers their COVID-19 grief
Donna Bricknell's father, Patrick Bricknell, was one of the 3,000 Victorians who died with COVID-19.
In July 2020, after a COVID-19 case emerged in their father's nursing home, Ms Bricknell and her sister tried to convince their father to stay with them.
But, as usual, Mr Bricknell wanted to make sure his daughters didn't worry.
"He said 'I'm fine — they're testing me for COVID the next day and, if I'm negative, then we'll have a chat then about whether I can come and stay with one of you'," Ms Bricknell said.
"The very next day, he called me to let me know he was positive and my heart sank."
In the following weeks, Donna and her family underwent the painful task of chasing under-pressure nurses and hospital staff for updates on their father's situation.
Hospital restrictions and high COVID-19 cases meant Donna and her family were unable to be with her father the moment he died.
"That's the hardest part, you know, [he was] on his own," Ms Bricknell said.
The majority of people who have died with the virus have been older Australians and, Ms Bricknell said, hearing people dismiss her father's death based on his age has been hard.
"That's just having no compassion for us as a family," she said.
"What we went through with him, they don't realise that when you die from COVID, you die alone."
She said her heart breaks every day that she sees another person has died from the virus.
Effects of grief estimated to be ten times as widespread as deaths
Mr Hall said that, for every person who dies, it's estimated 10 people have been "profoundly impacted by it".
"So we're looking at 30,000 Victorians who have direct personal knowledge, and experience, of somebody who has died [from the virus]," he said.
Mr Hall said COVID-19 deaths, in particular, can lead to lasting trauma for those around them.
"These are often deaths that have happened very quickly, as people have deteriorated quite rapidly," he said.
"There have been complications in terms of family and friends, being able to be present at the time of death and to speak to the dying person."
Mr Hall said it was important that those grieving the loss of a loved one reach out for help from family or friends.
"But, when that's not enough, that they reach out and seek support from services such as [ones familiar with] experiencing grief and bereavement," he said.
The Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement is offering free COVID-19 bereavement support. It can be reached on 1800 642 066.
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