Coronavirus update for Victoria - 20 November 2020

Victoria has recorded no new cases of coronavirus since yesterday, and there are 2 cases currently active.

This is the 21^st straight day where Victoria has recorded zero daily new cases.

The average number of cases diagnosed in the last 14 days (6 Nov – 19 Nov 2020) for metropolitan Melbourne is zero and regional Victoria is zero. The rolling daily average case number is calculated by averaging out the number of new cases over the past 14 days.

The total number of cases from an unknown source in the last 14 days (4 Nov – 17 Nov 2020) is zero for metropolitan Melbourne and zero from regional Victoria. The 14-day period for the source of acquisition data ends 48 hours earlier than the 14-day period used to calculate the new case average due to the time required to fully investigate a case and assign its mode of acquisition.

Late yesterday DHHS was notified of a weak positive test result for a woman in her 80s. The case was detected as part of pre-surgical screening.

This case has no identified links to known coronavirus cases and is not symptomatic.

This result is most likely a false positive or reflects a historic infection. Two further tests taken today on this case have returned negative results. The case is being reviewed by the Expert Review Panel tonight..

Precautionary public health actions are in place, including isolation of the case, quarantining and testing of primary close contacts and secondary close contact tracing. These actions will be reviewed following the panel assessment.

An additional weak positive result was received for a recently cleared case who had undertaken hotel quarantine in South Australia. This historic case is not notifiable as the result is consistent with shedding from their recent infection.

Victoria’s temporary hard border closure with South Australia came into force at midnight last night. It will be in place for 48 hours before a permit system comes into effect from 11.59pm on Saturday 21 November.

Victorian health authorities continue to closely monitor the situation in South Australia, including today’s developments of an anticipated easing of restrictions in SA on Saturday night.

We are actively considering any implications from these developments for Victoria’s policies at the South Australian border.

These temporary border controls were implemented after the discovery of fragments of SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes coronavirus, in wastewater taken from the Benalla and Portland wastewater treatment plants on Tuesday.

Residents of Benalla and Portland and anyone who has visited those areas between 15 and 17 November are urged to get tested and to isolate until they get their test result.

New testing sites have been established in Benalla and Portland at:

Benalla

• Benalla District Health: 9:30am–6:30pm weekdays and 9:30am–6pm on the weekend
• Benalla Racecourse: 8:30am–1:30pm from 20–22 November
• Benalla Showgrounds: 8:30am–1:30pm from 20–22 November

Portland

• Portland District Health: 10:00am–4:00pm 7 days per week

Testing numbers in Benalla and Portland were low yesterday but demand is expected to increase today and over the weekend and we urge people to come forward for testing.

Since yesterday, interstate truck drivers travelling through Victoria from South Australia are being offered testing at the Nhill Trailer Exchange on the Western Highway. Yesterday, the Nhill Trailer Exchange tested 51 people. It will operate from 6pm to 2am from today onwards.

This afternoon, a new roadside testing station started operating from the Dartmoor Truck Stop, 2.8km south-west of Dartmoor on the Princes Highway at Winnap. It will close at 6pm tonight and will operate from 11am-6.00pm from Saturday onwards.

Tomorrow a new Nelson roadside testing site is scheduled to operate on the Portland Nelson Rd, opposite the Nelson Aeroplane Company. It is proposed to be operate from 11am-6pm.

Another roadside site will open at Murrayville from 4pm-8pm at Murrayville Town Hall, 25 McKenzie Street, Murrayville, and from Sunday 8am to 4.30pm.

A testing site will also open tomorrow at the Edenhope Racecourse, Wimmera Highway (MacKenzies Rd corner) and will operate from 2pm to 10pm daily.

In Victoria at the current time:

• 2 cases are currently active in Victoria. All active cases are in metropolitan Melbourne
• 1 case of coronavirus is in hospital, there are no cases in intensive care
• A total of 3,475,749 test results have been received which is an increase of 18,474 since yesterday

As public health work is undertaken throughout the day, outbreak totals are likely to change as the public health team identify links between cases and identified outbreaks. Organisation based outbreak totals include contacts as well as employees/residents/staff/students of that location/business.

Information regarding COVID-19 is available at the Department of Health and Human Services website or by calling 1800 675 398. Testing site details are available at the Where to get tested page.

Media enquiries:

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. This can include changes to residential addresses following case interviews.
• 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.