Coronavirus update for Victoria - 4 June 2021

Victoria was notified of six new cases of coronavirus yesterday.

Four are locally acquired cases linked to the current outbreak. Two are cases acquired overseas in returned international travellers in hotel quarantine.

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

There are 72 active cases in Victoria, 64 are locally acquired and eight are overseas acquired cases.

The total number of confirmed cases in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic is 20,621.

Extension of restrictions

As of 11.59pm last night, Victoria’s restrictions were extended for metropolitan Melbourne and eased in regional Victoria.

For people in metropolitan Melbourne, that means there are still five reasons to leave home: shopping for food and supplies, authorised work and study, care and caregiving, exercise, and getting vaccinated. People can travel further for exercise and shopping, with an expanded 10km radius.

Students in Year 11 and 12 return to face-to-face learning and several outdoor jobs have been added to the authorised list, including landscaping, painting, installing solar panels, or letterboxing.

For regional Victoria, the travel restrictions and five reasons to leave home have been lifted. All year levels and all students return to face-to-face schooling. Public gatherings increased to ten people and restaurants and cafés can reopen to a maximum of 50.

More information about the new restriction arrangements can be found at COVIDSafe Settings.

Update: Outbreaks

The four new cases of locally acquired COVID-19 include three family members (two parents and a child) linked to the current West Melbourne outbreak.

The fourth new case diagnosed yesterday is a primary close contact of an existing positive COVID-19 case who was isolating during their infectious period.

Genomic sequencing results received last night for two of the original West Melbourne cases, who travelled to Jervis Bay, identified a new variant of COVID-19 that is unrelated to all other cases seen so far in the current Victorian outbreak.

This new Delta variant is of significant concern. Victorian public health officials are working closely with their counterparts in New South Wales, the ACT and the Commonwealth Government to trace back where this new variant may have been acquired.

All primary close contacts of those two original cases are being followed up by contact tracers to investigate the possible source of this new variant.

The number of positive cases linked to the West Melbourne outbreak is now seven.

Intense contact tracing efforts have identified more than 300 primary close contacts in the West Melbourne outbreak that started with cases linked to the North Melbourne Primary School. All are isolating and are being tested as a priority.

So far, around 70 per cent of those primary close contacts have tested negative with other results pending.

Across the State, public health teams have identified more than 6000 primary close contacts linked to the current outbreak with 90 per cent having returned negative test results.

A program of re-testing of staff and residents at the Arcare Maidstone and BlueCross Sunshine aged care facilities is continuing. There have been no additional cases linked to aged care in Victoria and public health actions around four additional aged care homes have been stood down following negative test results for staff and residents.

The are more than 350 public exposure sites identified and published at Case alerts - public exposure sites.

The Department also manages a number of exposure sites which it doesn’t publish online, particularly if these sites represent lower-risk exposures, or 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: Vaccinations

Yesterday was another record day for COVID-19 vaccinations in Victoria with 24,169 doses administered by state commissioned services.

This brings the total number of vaccine doses administered at state commissioned services as of yesterday to 557,794.

Record demand for vaccination over the past week has seen our call centre double its staffing capacity and extend its operating hours until 10pm to ensure we book in as many Victorians as possible.

We thank Victorians for their patience when contacting the Coronavirus Hotline and ask that they try again later if unable to get through.

Victoria’s five-day vaccination blitz of health care, aged care and disability care workers continues until Sunday, providing plenty of additional opportunities for high-priority workers to visit one of the ten high-volume vaccination centres across the state.

The following vaccination centres are participating in the five-day aged care and disability worker blitz: Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), Sandown Racecourse, Melbourne Showgrounds, Former Ford Factory Geelong, Bendigo Community Clinic, Ballarat Mercure Hotel and Convention Centre, Shepparton Showgrounds McIntosh Centre, Traralgon Racecourse and the Wodonga Vaccination Hub.

Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, or who is a primary close contact, must not attend a vaccination centre.

Go to a testing centre, get a test, and go home until you receive your result.

Update: Testing

Yesterday a total of 49,439 tests were processed in Victoria.

Eighty-seven per cent of all test results were turned around within 24 hours.

There are currently 212 testing facilities across Victoria providing safe testing to all Victorians.

The Department is publishing expected wait times at testing sites as well as updated information about locations and hours of operation atWhere to get tested.

General advice

Coronavirus (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):