Coronavirus update for Victoria - 26 June 2021

Victoria was notified of four new cases of COVID-19 yesterday.

One is a locally acquired case linked to the current Southbank apartment complex outbreak.

The other three new cases are in returned international travellers in hotel quarantine. They are a woman aged in her 50s, a man aged in his 30s and a man aged in his 20s.

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

There were 51 active cases in Victoria – 22 are locally acquired and 29 are overseas acquired cases.

The total number of confirmed cases in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic is 20,705. One historic case was reclassified yesterday.

Further easing of restrictions

From 11.59pm on Thursday 24 June, restrictions were further eased on the advice of the Chief Health Officer.

More information can be found in the Premiers statement.

Update: Outbreaks

Yesterday’s new locally acquired case is a primary close contact of a confirmed positive case from the Southbank apartment complex outbreak.

This new case has been in quarantine throughout their infectious period and there are no new exposure sites or increased public health risks linked to this case.

The total number of cases linked to the Southbank outbreak is now 12. Ten of these cases remain active, two have been cleared.

All primary close contacts linked to the Kings Park, Southbank, apartment complex outbreak will receive Day 13 testing.

A strong public health response continues around the recent Sandringham workplace outbreak that remains at two active cases.

Testing was undertaken yesterday of all residents in an apartment complex in Oakleigh where one of the positive cases lives. 49 tests have all come back as negative.

Extensive contact tracing efforts are continuing with publicly listed exposure sites linked to these two positive cases.

A total of 134 close contacts have been identified from Jetstar flight JQ523 that departed Sydney at 5.30pm on Sunday evening. They are all isolating and being tested. To date, 121 have returned negative test results.

36 close contacts have been identified from the public transport trips using myki data. All have been asked to isolate, seek testing and remain isolated until they receive a negative result. Getting your myki registered helps us contact you in these cases.

At the Sandringham dry cleaning business, 65 primary close contacts have been identified and 53 have thus far returned negative results.

Contact tracing work continues at other recently identified exposure sites.

Certain testing sites in the east and south-east of Melbourne have had their operating hours extended today to support these localised testing activities. Check the website for details.

Victoria’s other outbreaks continue to stabilise.

Anyone who has visited an exposure site during the specified dates and times must follow the advice listed. Forest Hill Chase Shopping Centre, level 1 and 2 only, Tuesday 22June between 11.50am and 1.30pm was added as a Tier 2 site yesterday.

A full list of exposure sites is published at: age at Case alerts - public exposure sites.

The Department also manages a number of exposure sites that it doesn’t publish online, particularly if these sites represent lower-risk exposures, 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: Red and orange zone restrictions in NSW and ACT

The Chief Health Officer has declared all of regional NSW and the ACT an orange zone with effect from 1:00am on Sunday 27 June. This is not retrospective. Any areas in NSW currently defined as red zones will remain as red zones until further notice.

If you travel from regional NSW or ACT, then you need an orange zone permit to enter Victoria.

Permits can be obtained at Service Victoria. Permit checks are in place for relevant arriving flights at Victoria’s airports and along our border with NSW.

Orange zone permit holders entering Victoria must isolate on arrival, get tested within 72 hours, and stay isolated until they get a negative result.

For people travelling from orange zones to Victoria’s Alpine Resorts, theymust follow these rules and not isolate in accommodation that is located within an Alpine Resort.

In addition, the Chief Health Officer recommends against non-essential travel into Victoria (such as for holidays) from orange and red zones. The following areas are red zones under Victoria’s Travel Permit System, effective from 1:00am, Friday 25 June:

• Greater Sydney, including Central Coast and Blue Mountains
• Wollongong, including Shellharbour

All areas in Greater Sydney including Central Coast, Shellharbour, Blue Mountains and Wollongong have been declared an orange zone retrospectively between 11 June and 1am Friday June 25, at which time they became a red zone.

If you are a non-Victorian resident and you have been in a red zone, other than for transit, you cannot obtain a permit and you cannot enter Victoria unless you have an exception or exemption.

If you are a Victorian resident and have been in a red zone, other than for transit, you can obtain a red zone permit to enter Victoria but you must travel directly home and quarantine for 14 days. You must get tested within 72 hours of arrival and again on or around day 13 of quarantine.

You must have a valid permit, exception or exemption to enter Victoria. If you try to enter Victoria at a land border from a red zone without a permit, you will be sent back. If you enter at an airport or seaport from a red zone without a permit, you will be fined and you will stay in Hotel Quarantine until return transport is arranged.

Victoria Police announced yesterday it has increased its Operation Sentinel response on our border with NSW. Around 260 additional police officers are now working with roving patrols and at pop up checkpoints doing spot checks and using automatic number plate recognition. On-the-spot fines of nearly $5,000 can be enforced.

As the school holidays begin, we are asking all individuals to do the right thing and follow the rules that are in place. You should not be travelling to a red zone in New South Wales, and if you do travel, note that the zones can change at short notice.

If you are travelling, get the right permits in place as you will be screened on arrival and returned home if necessary.

If you have COVID-19 symptoms, you should not be travelling. You should be isolating and getting tested.

All arrivals into Victoria must apply for a travel permit even if they are entering from a green zone. Permits can be obtained at Service Victoria. Permit checks by authorised officers are in place for relevant arriving flights at Victoria’s airports.

NSW Health has published a list of exposure sites online.

Queensland Health has published a list of exposure sites online.

There is a new COVID-19 exposure site in the Northern Territory:

• Granites Gold Mine, Central Australia between 19 and 25 June 2021 (inclusive)

Anyone who has visited this Tier 1 exposure site during the time listed must immediately isolate, get a COVID-19 test, quarantine for 14 days from the date of exposure, and contact the Department of Health on 1300 651 160.

If you are in Victoria and have been to these locations in the specified times, follow the listed advice and contact us on 1300 651 160.

The Chief Health Officer continues to closely monitor the interstate situation, with further updates made as needed.

Update: Vaccinations

The number of vaccine doses administered by Victoria’s state-commissioned services topped one million yesterday.

Yesterday, 19,807 vaccine doses were administered by Victoria’s state-commissioned services bringing the total number of doses administered at these services to 1,008,036.

There is still room for more second dose appointments in our system and AstraZeneca walk ups are available at many locations around Victoria.

Victoria’s online booking system is now live at Book your vaccine appointment or you can ring the coronavirus hotline on 1800 675 398.

Information about Victoria’s vaccination centres can be found at Vaccination centres.

Update: Wastewater detection

There has been a wastewater detection to the north of Melbourne in the Lower Plenty area from samples analysed between 22 June and 24 June.

The suburbs within the detection area include: Briar Hill, Bundoora, Diamond Creek, Greensborough, Lower Plenty, Macleod, Mill Park, Montmorency, Plenty, South Morang, St Helena, Viewbank, Watsonia, Watsonia North, Yallambie and Yarrambat.

While this could be a historical case, we are asking for anyone who lives in or has visited these suburbs to please watch for the slightest of symptoms and please come forward and get tested at one of the many local testing sites.

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 publishes 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.