Coronavirus update for Victoria - 4 July 2020

The total number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Victoria is 2469 with 108 new cases reported yesterday.

The overall total has increased by 101, with seven case reclassified.

Within Victoria, 14 new cases are linked to outbreaks, 25 new cases have been identified through routine testing and 69 cases are under investigation. No new cases have been detected in returned travellers in hotel quarantine.

There have been no new deaths reported. To date, 20 people have died from coronavirus in Victoria.

There have been 389 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Victoria that have been acquired through unknown transmission. There are currently 509 active cases in Victoria.

Currently, 25 people with coronavirus infection are in hospital, including three patients in intensive care. 1938 people have recovered from the virus.

Of the total 2469 cases, there have been 2119 in metropolitan Melbourne and 256 in regional Victoria. The total number of cases is made up of 1304 men and 1163 women. More than 906,500 tests have been processed to date.

Of the new cases which have already been linked to outbreaks, the breakdown is as follows.

New cases linked to existing outbreaks:

• Three new cases are linked to Al-Taqwa College, bringing the total to 33. All staff and students have been quarantined and will be tested.
• Two new cases are linked to the Roxburgh Park family outbreak, taking the total to 28.
• Two new cases are linked to the Stamford Plaza outbreak, while four existing cases have been retrospectively linked, taking the total number in the outbreak to 40.
• One new case is linked to a Deer Park gathering, taking the total number linked to the outbreak to 12.
• One new case relates to the North Melbourne public housing apartments outbreak, taking the total to 11 cases. Contact tracing, testing and deep cleaning is underway. The department’s outbreak squad has already visited the site.
• Two new cases are linked to the Wollert outbreak, taking the total to 17.

New cases linked to freshly established outbreaks:

• Two new cases at the Optus head office, taking the total to five cases. A deep clean has been undertaken and investigation into potential transmission occurring via social settings outside of work is ongoing.
• One new case at the Ascot Vale Primary School, a known close contact of an existing case, taking the total cases to two.

Other new cases of note:

• The department has been notified of a case in a contracted healthcare worker undertaking duties at the Park Royal Hotel. The person is believed to have worked shifts while infectious. The source of acquisition is currently unknown and all avenues of transmission will be investigated. The contact tracing process is underway, with all appropriate public health actions being implemented, including cleaning, quarantine and testing.
• A single case in a teacher at Debney Meadows Primary School. The acquisition source is being investigated. The school is closed, and all close contacts will be tested.

The department has also been notified of three new cases linked to healthcare workers in the emergency department at Northern Hospital, Epping. The source of acquisition is currently unknown, and all avenues of transmission will be investigated. These cases were only recently notified to the department and as such are not reflected in today’s numbers. The emergency department is still open, but operating at reduced capacity.

Two cases have also been notified to the department recently in vendors from the Preston Market. While it is not thought that any customers have been exposed, this is a timely reminder to Victorians to maintain physical distance while in retail and shopping environments.

A new outbreak has also been identified at the Flemington public housing apartments, with 12 cases now linked to the site. This includes nine residents and three extended family members from a separate household, with cases being notified and linked together by the department in recent days. A daily clean of all the directly affected floors at both estates has been put into place, and onsite testing began on Friday and will continue over the next few days.

With two separate outbreaks in public housing towers the Victorian Government has announced new measures to slow the spread of the virus amongst these communities.

Effective immediately the nine towers involved will be closed and residents will be required to stay in their homes at all times. This will be in place for at least five days to ensure we can test every single resident. The lifting of this restriction will be determined by our success in testing and tracking this virus.

On the advice of our health experts, the number of “hot zone” postcodes will also be expanded to include 3031 and 3051. This will be effective from 11:59pm tonight.

This is in addition to previously announced restricted postcodes - 3012, 3021, 3032, 3038, 3042, 3046, 3047, 3055, 3060 and 3064.

These postcodes must follow the Stay at Home directions until 29 July 2020.

People who live in these restricted postcodes are only allowed to go out for four reasons: shopping for food and supplies, medical care and caregiving – including to be tested for COVID-19, exercise and study or work – if unable to work or study from home.

For people living outside these restricted postcodes, there are only four reasons to go into those postcodes: shopping for food and supplies, care and caregiving, exercise and study or work.

People who live in these postcodes cannot have visitors to their home, or visit other homes, except for caregiving or compassionate reasons, or receiving services.

Businesses and facilities in these postcodes that have reopened will again be restricted. Cafes and restaurants will only be able to open for take-away and delivery services.

“Victorians in these locked down suburbs are being urged to do their bit in the fight against coronavirus – stick to the rules and get to a testing station,” Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said.

“This virus is not selective, it will impact anyone it encounters, and personal contact is the clear source of its transmission. More than 300,000 people live across these suburbs. We need everyone to do their part and ensure it is stopped in its tracks.

“There is no excuse for not getting tested. We have people knocking on your door, coming to your neighbourhood – we are bringing the testing to you. There are also several drive-through and fixed sites where people can go.

“And no matter where you live, it remains critical to practice good hygiene in and outside the home – wash your hands regularly, cough and sneeze into a tissue or your elbow and try to avoid touching your face,

“Stay 1.5 metres away from anyone you don’t live with and avoid crowds, especially indoors. If you can keep working from home – you must keep working from home.

“Don’t take this disease lightly. if you feel unwell with any symptoms of coronavirus, however mild, you should stay home and get tested.

“If you have any fever, chills, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, and loss of sense of smell or taste - stay home, don’t go in to work and don’t visit friends and family. Get tested and stay at home until you get the result.”

Media inquiries:

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.
• 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.

Confirmed cases by LGA 04/07/2020