Coronavirus update for Victoria - 11 June 2021

There were no locally acquired cases of COVID-19 recorded in Victoria yesterday.

Victoria was notified of one new case of COVID-19 yesterday in a recently returned overseas traveller in hotel quarantine – a man aged in his 20s.

This is the first day of no community cases in Victoria since the current outbreak began on 24 May.

There were three COVID-19 cases in hospital in Victoria yesterday.

There are 75 active cases in Victoria, 61 are locally acquired and 14 are overseas acquired cases.

The total number of confirmed cases in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic is 20,655.

Update: Eased restrictions

Victoria's eased restrictions are now in place.

In metropolitan Melbourne, face masks must be worn indoors and outdoors, unless in a private home or unless an exception applies.

More information about the current eased restrictions can be found at COVIDSafe Settings.

Update: Outbreaks

Public health teams are continuing their rapid response and investigations into the four new cases from the same household in Reservoir who have no confirmed source of virus acquisition.

Primary and secondary close contacts linked to the household have so far tested negative and work is continuing to identify any other individuals who might have been exposed to the household members while they were infectious.

Genomic sequencing results from the positive cases suggest a Kappa variant of COVID-19 consistent with the City of Whittlesea, Port Melbourne workplace and aged care outbreaks.

Following interviews with the positive cases, public health officials has identified several potential exposure and acquisition sites, some of which date back to almost two weeks ago based on the serology of one of the four cases.

With new exposure sites being identified, it is important that people continue to regularly visit the Victorian coronavirus website for the latest updates on new exposure sites and to follow the advice listed should they have visited a site at the stated dates and times.

As of yesterday, there are more than 4300 active primary close contacts in isolation in Victoria. A further 900 were cleared after completing their period of quarantine and providing negative results on their day 13 tests.

We thank all of these individuals for their patience as we work through a significant case load of people to be cleared.

The number of exposure sites in Victoria as of midday today was 109. The full list of exposure sites can be seen at Case alerts – public exposure sites.

The Department also manages a number of exposure sites which it doesn't publish online, particularly if these sites represent lower-risk exposures, or if they have comprehensive record keeping and contact tracing measures in place, or if they identify small, private locations.

Exposure sites are regularly reviewed based on intelligence and evidence, following case interviews.

Update: Two Victorian cases in Queensland

Investigations are continuing into the source of infection for two Victorians who recently tested positive to COVID-19 in Queensland.

Victorian public health officials commenced interviews with the two cases last night. These were long interviews as investigators are focusing on the couple's movements prior to 1 June when they left Victoria to pinpoint a possible local source of their infections.

Any new exposure sites will be posted on the Department's website.

Genomic sequencing results for these cases suggest a Kappa variant of COVID-19, meaning they are most likely linked to the City of Whittlesea or Port Melbourne outbreaks.

Update: Recent COVID-19 wastewater detections

There have been several new positive detections of COVID-19 viral fragments in Victorian wastewater samples over recent days.

Unexpected detections have been found in Bendigo, the Glenroy-Pascoe Vale area and in some eastern suburbs in the local government areas of Whitehorse, Manningham and Monash.

While the unexpected detections may be due to someone who has had COVID-19, is no longer infectious and is continuing to ‘shed' the virus or it may be due to an active but undiagnosed infectious case.

Anyone in affected suburbs are urged to monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and get tested if any symptoms develop.

More detailed information, including a list of affected suburbs, can be found at Wastewater testing.

The Department will continue to monitor the situation closely and has increased testing in the impacted areas.

Update: Resumption of all elective surgery in metropolitan Melbourne

All categories of elective surgery will recommence in metropolitan Melbourne from this Tuesday 15 June.

Hospitals can start booking in their patients today to help ensure they can operate at full capacity from Tuesday.

In response to the current COVID-19 outbreak, emergency and urgent surgeries (category 1 and 2a) were allowed to continue, but all non-urgent elective surgery in Victoria was paused.

The elective surgery restrictions were an important measure to preserve capacity across our Victorians health care system and to protect the system against any potential risk of COVID-19 transmission

Elective surgery in regional Victoria has already restarted in full.

Update: Vaccinations

It was yet another strong day at Victoria's vaccination centres with 20,752 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered by Victoria's state-commissioned services.

This brings the total number of vaccine doses administered at state-commissioned services to 749,470.

Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, or who is a primary close contact, must not attend a vaccination centre. If you have COVID-19 symptoms, go to a testing centre, get a test, and go home until you receive your result.

The five-day vaccination blitz for Ambulance Victoria staff continues today with paramedics, non-emergency patient transport workers and staff offered priority walk-up access for vaccination.

All state vaccination centres with walk-in capacity will operate priority access, including active queue management, for these priority workers.

The full list of walk-in centres, their opening times, and whether they have walk-in capacity for people aged under 50 years, is available at Vaccination centres.

The blitz will run until Sunday.

People who are eligible are encouraged to register their interest at COVID-19 vaccine program workforce.

General advice

COVID-19 symptoms include fever, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath and loss or change in sense of smell or taste. If you are experiencing symptoms, wear a fitted face mask when you get tested.

The Department is publishing expected wait times at testing sites as well as updated information about locations and hours of operation at Where to get tested

For more information call the 24-hour Coronavirus Hotline at 1800 675 398 or visit Coronavirus (COVID-19) Victoria

Latest statewide numbers (data reported to 11:59pm yesterday):