Coronavirus update for Victoria - 27 June 2021

Victoria was notified of three new cases of COVID-19 yesterday – all are returned international travellers in hotel quarantine.

There were no locally acquired cases detected in Victoria yesterday.

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

There were 44 active cases in Victoria – 17 are locally acquired and 27 are overseas acquired cases.

The total number of confirmed cases in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic is 20,706. Two cases were reclassified.

Update: Travel permit changes

The Greater Darwin area will be designated a red zone under Victoria’s travel permit system, effective 8:00pm AEST Sunday 27 June. Greater Darwin incorporates the Local Government Areas of City of Darwin, City of Palmerston and Litchfield.

Passengers on flights to Victoria from Greater Darwin scheduled to depart before the red zone comes into effect can enter Victoria on green zone permits.

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.

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, get tested, and quarantine for 14 days.

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.

Exceptions and exemptions apply. See Victorian Travel Permit System for more information about Victoria’s travel permit system.

Update: Outbreaks (interstate)

The Chief Health Officer is monitoring the public health situation interstate and is actively reviewing border settings. More information will be provided as soon as possible if required.

Last night, Victoria was alerted to a Sydney-based Virgin flight crew member who travelled to Victoria on the afternoon of Friday 25 June and departed on the morning of Saturday 26 June.

Anyone who was a passenger or crew member on Virgin flight VA334 to Melbourne on Friday 25 June must quarantine for 14 days.

The Department has now identified a revised 103 Primary Close Contacts from this flight (including 94 passengers), after public health teams have analysed data received earlier today.

A number of Tier 2 exposure sites have also been identified at Melbourne Airport.

Greater Sydney, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour are red zones under Victoria’s Travel Permit System.

The remainder of New South Wales (excluding LGAs along the Victorian border) and the ACT are orange zones.

Victoria Police has increased its response on the NSW border. 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 can be enforced.

As the school holidays begin, the Department is asking all individuals to do the right thing.

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.

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, and contact the Department of Health on 1300 651 160.

Update: Outbreaks (local)

A strong public health response continues around the Sandringham workplace outbreak, which remains at two cases.

Testing was undertaken of all residents in an apartment complex in Oakleigh. All results are negative and residents can leave isolation.

The Department will continue to monitor the situation and will be offering onsite testing at Day 7 and Day 13.

More than 130 close contacts have been identified from Jetstar flight JQ523 that departed Sydney at 5.30pm last Sunday.

More than 60 primary close contacts are linked to the Sandringham dry cleaning business, with almost all returning negative results so far.

36 contacts have been identified from relevant public transport trips using myki data.

Residents of the Kings Park Southbank complex are undertaking Day 13 tests today and tomorrow.

A full list of exposure sites is published 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.

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 Premier's statement.

Update: Vaccinations

Yesterday, 14,982 vaccine doses were administered by Victoria’s state-commissioned services.

This brings the total number of doses administered at these services to 1,020,914.

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 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.

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