Coronavirus update for Victoria - 16 September 2021

Victoria was notified of 514 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. All were locally acquired, with 11 historic cases reclassified.

There are 4,370 active cases in Victoria – 4,367 locally acquired and three overseas-acquired cases.

There are 182 COVID-19 cases in hospital in Victoria. 51 of those cases are in intensive care, with 29 cases on a ventilator.

The total number of confirmed cases in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic is 26,942.

Update: Restrictions

With Victoria due to hit its 70 per cent first-dose vaccination target tomorrow, the Chief Health Officer has recommended some modest easing to restrictions from 11:59 pm on Friday 17 September.

Restrictions on outdoor social interaction and gatherings, outdoor exercise and the distance people can travel from their home will ease in the lockdown areas of metropolitan Melbourne and Ballarat.

In regional Victoria (excluding Ballarat), gyms and swimming pools will reopen with capacity limits.

For more information, refer to New freedoms when 70 per cent first dose target reached.

Update: Restrictions on the construction sector

Construction workers are no longer permitted to cross between metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria for work, in light of cases seeding from Melbourne into regional Victoria.

Additional COVID-safe measures are also in force at all construction sites – including use of on-site COVID-Safe Marshals, worker shift bubbles and immediate closure of tea rooms.

All construction workers in Victoria are also required to show evidence to their employer that they have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine before 11:59 pm on 23 September.

Limited medical exemptions and proof-of-booking exceptions will apply. Workers unable to provide suitable evidence will not be permitted to work.

Construction workers can book a priority vaccination appointment by calling the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398. They can also access walk-in appointments during key times at the old Ford Factory in Campbellfield, the former Bunnings in Melton West, Eagle Stadium in Werribee and the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital.

For more information, refer to New freedoms when 70 per cent first dose target reached.

Vaccines

An additional 10,000 Pfizer doses have been allocated to Ballarat over the next two to three weeks. New appointments for local residents will be made available regularly.

Yesterday, 41,758 vaccine doses were administered by Victoria’s state-commissioned services. The total number of doses administered through state-run services is 2,985,448.

There are currently more than 6,000 first-dose Pfizer appointments and more than 9,500 first-dose AstraZeneca appointments available over the next seven days.

Under current public-health directions, getting vaccinated is not a reason to travel from a restricted area to a non-restricted regional area and vice versa.

Outbreaks

Of the 514 local cases diagnosed yesterday, 148 were linked to current cases as of this morning. More cases are expected to be linked to current cases and outbreaks as investigations continue.

The following Local Government Areas recorded more than one newly diagnosed case yesterday:

• 3 cases in Ballarat
• 11 cases in Banyule
• 26 cases in Brimbank
• 3 cases in Cardinia
• 13 cases in Casey
• 14 cases in Darebin
• 5 cases in Glen Eira
• 13 cases in Greater Dandenong
• 2 cases in Greater Geelong
• 16 cases in Hobsons Bay
• 175 cases in Hume
• 8 cases in Manningham
• 3 cases in Maribyrnong
• 2 cases in Maroondah
• 9 cases in Melbourne
• 26 cases in Melton
• 4 cases in Mitchell
• 13 cases in Moonee Valley
• 66 cases in Moreland
• 2 cases in Nillumbik
• 5 cases in Port Phillip
• 3 cases in Stonnington
• 2 cases in Whitehorse
• 42 cases in Whittlesea
• 31 cases in Wyndham
• 7 cases in Yarra.

Data on Victorian coronavirus cases is available at Victorian coronavirus (COVID-19) data.

Around 62 per cent of cases identified in Victoria yesterday are in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

Around 85 per cent of all active cases in Victoria are people under 50 years of age, while almost one quarter of cases are people in their 20s.

Of the COVID-19 patients in hospital yesterday, 87 per cent are not vaccinated and 12 per cent are partially vaccinated. Only one person is fully vaccinated.

There are currently more than 18,530 active primary close contacts in isolation in Victoria.

At midday today, there were more than 860 published exposure sites in Victoria.

For more information on each exposure site, including dates and times of exposure, please visit Case alerts - public exposure sites.

There may be occasions when the Department is unable to make contact with a business or residential premises before their listing as an exposure site. At all times, we take the decision of when to publish these sites in the interests of public health.

The Department regularly manages exposure sites that it doesn’t publish online, particularly if these sites represent lower-risk exposure, or if they have comprehensive record-keeping and contact-tracing measures, or if they identify small, private locations – including smaller apartment or townhouse complexes.

Update: Wastewater testing

COVID-19 has been detected in wastewater samples taken from the following regional areas:

• Wangaratta and surrounds – including Wangaratta, East Wangaratta, North Wangaratta, Wangaratta South, Laceby, Milawa, Oxley, Waldara and Wangandary. The period of interest is 12 to 14 September.
• Moe area – including Moe, Newborough, Trafalgar, Yallourn and Yarragon. The period of interest is 13 to 14 September.
• Ballarat East – repeated unexpected detections in suburbs including Ballarat East, Ballarat North, Bakery Hill, Black Hill, Brown Hill, Buninyong, Canadian, Eureka, Golden Point, Mt Clear, Mt Helen, Invermay Park, Wendouree, Lake Wendouree and Warrenheip. The period of interest is 12 to 15 September.

The detections could be the result of one or more people in these areas who have recovered from COVID-19 but are still shedding the virus, or the detections could be an undiscovered new case.

Anyone who lives in, works in or has visited the areas above is urged to watch for the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms and get tested as soon as possible if symptoms develop.

For more information on wastewater testing, visit Wastewater testing.

Testing

61,961 COVID-19 tests were processed yesterday, a Victorian record.

Ballarat Health Services has opened three new testing sites to meet anticipated community demand. The sites are located at the following locations:

• Ballarat Aquatic & Lifestyle Centre (walk-in, 10 am to 5:30 pm, Monday to Sunday)
• The Ballarat Sports Events Centre (drive-through, 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Sunday)
• Victoria Park (drive-through, 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Sunday).

For a full list of COVID-19 testing sites in Ballarat, visit Ballarat Health Services website.

Barwon Health has increased testing capacity at sites throughout the Barwon and South West region, with the Geelong Showgrounds testing clinic operating from 8 am to 8 pm.

A new drive-through testing clinic will also open at the Spring Creek Reserve in Torquay on Friday, operating from 9 am to 6 pm.

Getting tested as soon as you have symptoms will help health authorities identify new positive cases and provide proper care for your family.

If you are concerned about losing money from missing work, support is available – including the $450 test isolation payment. For more information, go to Financial support.

To find your nearest COVID-19 testing site, visit Where get tested. Operating hours and wait times will vary.

More information

To access the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Victoria, visit Coronavirus (COVID-19) Victoria or call the 24-hour Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can also call the Victorian Aboriginal COVID Information Line on 1800 312 911. Callers will speak with Aboriginal staff who can answer questions about COVID-19 and direct them to relevant support services. The information line is open from 9 am to 5 pm, 7 days a week.

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