Coronavirus update for Victoria - 25 August 2021

Victoria was notified of 45 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. All were locally acquired cases.

There are 538 active cases in Victoria – 534 locally acquired and four overseas acquired cases.

There are 36 COVID-19 cases in hospital in Victoria. 11 cases are in intensive care and nine cases are on ventilators.

The total number of confirmed cases in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic is 21,614.

Update: Vaccines

31,629 vaccine doses were administered by Victoria’s state-commissioned services yesterday.

The total number of doses administered through these services is 2,219,890.

From today, every Victorian aged 16 years and over is eligible to access a coronavirus vaccine at state-run vaccination centres, under an expansion of the state vaccine program that will further help Victoria reach its goal of one million doses over five weeks.

Victorians are jumping at the opportunity to get vaccinated. From this morning through to 4:00pm, more than 95,000 people have booked a COVID-19 vaccine appointment using the online portal or by calling 1800 675 398.

Demand has remained high throughout the day, with 6,700 online bookings made between 2pm and 3pm alone.

Attributable to Naomi Bromley, Deputy Secretary: “The system is managing extraordinary demand but people are getting through, and tens of thousands of Victorians are booking successfully. We thank everyone for their enthusiasm and patience, and if you can’t successfully make a booking, please try again later today or tomorrow.”

For more information, see Vaccine eligibility expanding for anyone 16 and over.

Bookings can be made on Victoria's online booking system at Book your vaccine appointment or you can ring the coronavirus hotline on 1800 675 398.

Outbreaks

Of today’s 45 local cases:

• 36 are linked to known outbreaks

• 10 of these cases are linked to MyCentre childcare

• 9 of these cases are linked to the Shepparton community outbreak (including the Royal Melbourne Hospital)

• 9 cases had their acquisition source under investigation

• Local Government Areas of origin include Hobsons Bay, Hume, Melton, Wyndham, Maribyrnong, Moreland, Monash and Glen Eira

• 17 were in isolation for the entirety of their infectious period

Of the 538 active cases:

• 114 are aged between 0 and 9
• 101 are aged between 10 and 19
• 89 are aged between 20 and 29

As a broad summary of cases so far in these outbreaks:

• 361 total cases are currently linked to initial outbreaks in the western suburbs, and their downstream outbreaks including the Glenroy community and MyCentre Broadmeadows
• In addition, 66 total cases are currently linked to the Shepparton community (including the Royal Melbourne Hospital)
• 36 total cases are currently linked to the St Kilda East/Fitzroy St area
• 33 total cases are currently linked to the CBD/Carlton/North Melbourne area
• 84 total cases are currently linked to an emerging cluster of cases in Altona North, Newport and surrounds
• 46 total cases are under investigation

There are currently more than 17,400 active primary close contacts in isolation in Victoria.

Please check the website for all exposure sites and the dates and times of exposure at Case alerts - public exposure sites.

The Department regularly manages exposure sites that it doesn’t publish online, particularly if these sites represent lower-risk exposures, 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: Queensland zone changes

From Wednesday 11:59pm 25 August 2021, the orange zone Local Government Areas of Brisbane, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, Noosa, Redland, Scenic Rim, Somerset and Sunshine Coast are green zones under Victoria’s travel permit system.

You are still required to apply for a permit when entering Victoria from a green zone. For more information on what green zones mean, visit Victorian travel permit system.

If you entered or are entering Victoria and have been in any of these Local Government Areas in the previous 14 days, you are a green zone arrival. This also means that previous orange zone arrivals from these Local Government Areas are released from isolation.

To apply for a permit, visit Service Victoria. It is an offence to enter Victoria without a valid permit, exemption or exception, with fines of up to $5,452.

For more information on Victoria’s travel permit system – including exceptions, exemptions, specified worker permits and frequently asked questions – visit Victorian travel permit system

Update: COVID-19 wastewater detections in Victoria

The Department is continuing to identify unexpected detections of COVID-19 fragments in wastewater in metropolitan Melbourne in areas that have not recorded recent positive cases.

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

Current areas of concern are:

Metro catchments - residential

• Western suburbs: Footscray, Seddon and West Footscray – detections in the period of interest 15-23 August. South Kingsville and Spotswood – detections with period of interest 17-20 August.
• Northern suburbs: Coburg, Coburg North, Fawkner, Hadfield, Preston, Reservoir and Thomastown – repeat detections in the period of interest 15-20 August.

Metro catchments - industrial

• Sunshine West – 13 repeated detections in the period of interest 8-23 August.

More information is available at Wastewater testing

Update: Testing

53,321 tests were processed in Victoria yesterday.

See new and extended testing sites, where to get tested and expected wait times at Where to get tested.

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.

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):