Coronavirus Update for Victoria - 16 May 2020

The total number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Victoria is 1,554 - a net increase of 11 since yesterday.

There were no new deaths reported. To date, 18 people have died from coronavirus in Victoria.

There have been 158 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Victoria that may have been acquired through community transmission.

Currently 11 people are in hospital, including 7 patients in intensive care. 1,417 people have recovered.

Of the total 1,554 cases, there have been 1,283 in metropolitan Melbourne and 228 in regional Victoria. Several cases remain under investigation. The total number of cases is made up of 823 men and 730 women.

Almost 324,000 tests have been processed to date.

Of the 11 new confirmed cases, one was detected among returned travellers in mandatory hotel quarantine, two cases were linked to the Melbourne meat processing facility, one was linked to the McDonalds Fawkner outbreak and the remaining cases are under investigation.

The one new case linked to the McDonald’s Fawkner outbreak takes the total number of cases in this outbreak to 11. This new case was the worker at McDonalds Craigieburn announced late yesterday, who is an extended relative of one of the previously announced positive cases at McDonald’s Fawkner – the connection that links the Craigieburn worker to the Fawkner outbreak.

More than 280 employees across both restaurants will be tested as a precaution. McDonald’s closed the Craigieburn restaurant and undertook a deep clean. All close contacts of confirmed cases have been contacted by the department and will remain in quarantine for 14 days.

Today’s new cases include two linked to the outbreak at a Melbourne meat processing facility. Further investigations have established links to this cluster from known confirmed cases, bringing the total number of cases linked to this outbreak to 98.

The department is working closely with the company, which closed their facility for 14 days as a precaution to ensure all required steps are taken - including thorough contact tracing, identifying all close contacts, widespread testing and precautionary cleaning.

“Today’s increase in cases illustrates once again that while we have been flattening the curve, our battle against COVID-19 is far from over,” said Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton.

“Restrictions around some activities have now been relaxed in Victoria in recognition of the current low rate of community transmission of this virus.

“While encouraging, we need to remain vigilant. We must maintain physical distancing, practice hygiene and self-isolation when ill. These are common sense actions to ensure we don’t create a second wave of this serious disease, as we have seen in other countries once they have relaxed their stringent regulations.

“Victorians have done a remarkable job so far sticking to the coronavirus restrictions and staying at home has saved lives. But now is not the time for complacency.”

“We are also asking Victorians to continue this amazing effort and get tested if they have symptoms, because the more tests we do, the more data we have about the prevalence of coronavirus in the community.

“People with common symptoms of coronavirus including fever, chills, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose or loss of sense of smell are encouraged to get tested.”

Media inquiries

Department of Health & Human Services Media Unit (03) 9096 8860 or press@dhhs.vic.gov.au

Cases by Local Government Area

Please find the latest COVID-19 notifications by local government areas below.

Note:

• Residential location is the residential address provided when the case is notified.
• This is not where they were infected and may not be where the case currently resides.
• Numbers are correct as of 11.59pm last night but are subject to change as cases are followed up and data is analysed.
• The last column shows the number of current active cases in an LGA. Active cases are defined as someone who has tested positive, is currently in isolation and being monitored by the Department and who has not yet recovered.