Coronavirus update for Victoria - 29 April 2020

The total number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Victoria is 1,354 – an increase of three since yesterday.

There was one new death reported yesterday, a woman in her 80s who was in hospital. To date, 18 people have died from coronavirus in Victoria.

The total number of cases is made up of 701 men and 653 women, with people aged from babies to their early nineties.

There are 139 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Victoria that may have been acquired through community transmission. Currently 18 people are in hospital, including 9 patients in intensive care. 1,287 people have recovered. More than 111,000 tests have been completed.

Of the total 1,354 cases, there have been 1,099 in metropolitan Melbourne and 217 in regional Victoria. Several cases remain under investigation.

The Victorian Government has announced a massive expansion of testing, which will help inform decisions about slowly lifting restrictions ahead of the State of Emergency being reviewed on 11 May.

"Up to 100,000 Victorians will be tested for coronavirus over the next two weeks as part of a major testing blitz across the state," Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said.

"Victorians have done a remarkable job sticking to the coronavirus restrictions, and by staying home have saved lives. We are now asking Victorians to again play their part and get tested if they have symptoms, because the more tests we do, the more data we have about the prevalence of coronavirus in the community.

"People with common symptoms of coronavirus including fever, chills, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose or loss of sense of smell are encouraged to get tested.

"Our daily case numbers are still low which is encouraging. They prove that our physical distancing measures are working but this is not a time to relax our strong approach – this disease can get away from you very quickly as we have seen overseas."

The Department of Health and Human Services follows up and monitors all close contacts of confirmed cases and provides them with information and support. All close contacts must self-isolate for 14-days.

There are only four reasons for Victorians to leave their home: food and supplies, medical care and care giving, exercise, and work or education.

Police have strong powers to enforce these directions and can issue on the spot fines, including up to $1,652 for individuals and up to $9,913 for businesses.

Under the State of Emergency people who don’t comply could also be taken to court and receive a fine of up to $20,000. Companies face fines of up to $100,000.

Media inquiries

Department of Health and Human Services Media Unit (03) 9096 8860 or press@dhhs.vic.gov.au

Cases by Local Government Areas

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.