Children and young people in the south-west suffered a heavy proportion of the cases during the July 2022 COVID-19 wave.
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New data obtained by The Standard showed children in Warrnambool were 22 per cent of total cases in July, while in Moyne children made up 30 per cent of cases.
Barwon Health public health unit director Professor Eugene Athan said he had seen more young people coming to hospital for treatment for COVID-19 during the winter wave.
"We are seeing an increase in cases in school-age groups and people under 30 compared with other age groups," he said.
The high rate of infections in south-west children forced Catholic schools to take an unscheduled long weekend in mid-July in an effort to stem the spread.
The "circuit-breaker" shutdown left many parents scrambling to find supervision for their children, but schools argued it was necessary as cases spread to teachers, exacerbating a staffing shortage.
But the high rate of child cases in the south-west contrasted with the age breakdown statewide. In early August children made up fewer than three per cent of total active Victorian cases.
The data for older people was almost a mirror image, with far fewer elderly cases in the south-west and a much higher proportion across the state.
In Warrnambool, 11 per cent of July cases were over 70, while in Moyne it was 7.5 per cent. Meanwhile, across the state 44 per cent of the active cases in early August were over 70.
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