Coronavirus update for Victoria – 5 August 2021

Victoria was notified of six new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. All are locally acquired cases.

There are 80 active cases in Victoria – 77 locally acquired and three overseas acquired cases.

There are seven COVID-19 cases in hospital in Victoria. Two cases are in intensive care and both are on ventilators.

The total number of confirmed cases in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic is 20,962. One case was re-classified yesterday.

Update: Current restrictions

Victoria will enter a state-wide lockdown for seven days from 8:00pm tonight, Thursday 5 August. For more information see Seven day lockdown to keep Victorians safe.

Update: Outbreaks

Of today’s six new locally acquired cases:

Three of the cases are household contacts of a case linked to the Moonee Valley testing site. All three were isolating during their entire infectious period.

One case lives in the City of Maribyrnong whose source of infection is currently unknown. This case works at a warehouse in Derrimut and has visited a number of sites in the community while infectious. One case, which was reported yesterday, resides in the Hobsons Bay Local Government Area and works as a teacher at the Al-Taqwa College in Truganina. One case is a household contact. Investigations by public health officials into the source of these three new cases is ongoing and genomic testing is underway.

Update: Two new community cases

Two new cases of COVID-19 have tested positive today. They are contacts of yesterday’s positive case that lives in the Hobson’s Bay Local Government Area but live together in a separate household.

Update: Exposure sites

These new cases have generated a number of new exposure sites in the western suburbs including:

• Altona North: Caltex service station, Elm Road Medical Clinic, Pharmacy 4 Less, Wolf Café and Eatery
• Caroline Springs: Aldi (CS Square), Da Barber House, NAB Branch ATM (CS Square), Spectacle Hub, Woolworths in Commercial Road
• Newport: Star Pizza and Pasta Cafe, 1881 Coffee
• Spotswood: Elite Sports Performance Gym
• Truganina: Al-Taqwa College
• Yarraville: Coles Yarraville on Williamstown Road

Please check the website for all exposures sites and the dates and times of exposure at Case alerts – public exposure sites. Exposure sites will be updated on the website as they are identified.

Significant public health actions are underway at the Al-Taqwa College where 2494 primary close contacts have been identified and are now in quarantine for 14 days including staff, students and visitors to the school. Their household contacts also have to get tested and isolate for 14 days. Al-Taqwa College has been closed and deep cleaning is underway. Online classes are planned to resume on Friday.

The Department is working closely with all members of the school community and family support arrangements have been activated around food and welfare support to ensure people can isolate safely and effectively.

Testing of contacts from the school is underway. The Showgrounds testing site has doubled its capacity for members of the school community, a pop-up testing site has been established at Al-Taqwa College and 13 other testing sites in the western suburbs have expanded their operating hours to cater for increased testing demand.

One of the new cases plays with the Newport Football Club and public health authorities are working closely with the Newport and West Footscray football clubs, who played each other in a match last Saturday at Shorten Reserve in West Footscray. Primary close contacts are being contacted by the Department and any spectators at that game are required to get tested, isolate and remain in isolation until they receive a negative test result.

The Department regularly manages exposure sites that it doesn’t publish online, particularly if these sites represent lower-risk exposures, or if they have comprehensive record-keeping and contact tracing measures, or if they identify small, private locations – including smaller apartment or townhouse complexes.

We continue to ask every Victorian to check exposure sites regularly, as they are subject to change based on follow-up interviews and further investigation.

COVID-19 wastewater detections in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria

There have been new wastewater detections in the north-west of Melbourne and in regional Victoria.

They may be due to someone who has had COVID-19, is no longer infectious and is continuing to shed the virus – or it may be due to an active but undiagnosed case in that area.

There has been a strong and increasing level of COVID-19 fragments detected in multiple wastewater samples from a catchment including the following suburbs: Attwood, Broadmeadows, Campbellfield, Coolaroo, Essendon Fields, Gladstone Park, Glenroy, Gowanbrae, Greenvale, Jacana, Meadows Heights, Oak Park, Pascoe Vale, Roxburgh Park, Somerton, Strathmore, Strathmore Heights, Tullamarine and Westmeadows.

Anyone who lives, works or has visited the above suburbs between 28 July and 4 August is urged to watch for the slightest of COVID-19 symptoms and get tested as soon as possible if any symptoms develop.

There has also been a positive detection of COVID-19 fragments in the Wangaratta area.

Suburbs in the catchment include East Wangaratta, Laceby, Milawa, North Wangaratta, Oxley, Waldara, Wangandary, Wangaratta and Wangaratta South.

Anyone who lives, works or has visited Wangaratta and the above surrounding suburbs between 28-30 July is urged to get tested should they get even the slightest of COVID-19 symptoms.

The wastewater testing program is designed as an early warning system and a cautious approach is always taken when these detections are found.

The Department of Health has increased wastewater testing in the areas listed above and will continue to monitor the situation closely.

More information is available at Wastewater testing.

Update: Vaccinations

Yesterday, 17,229 vaccine doses were administered by Victoria’s state-commissioned services.

The total number of doses administered through these services is 1,717,892.

There are now 50 open access vaccination centres operating across Victoria and in the coming weeks and months there will be more pop-up community vaccination clinics in operation.

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: Testing

A total of 27,279 tests were processed in Victoria yesterday.

See new and extended testing sites, where to get tested and expected wait times at Where to get tested.

Border bubble with NSW

Changes to the border bubble arrangements with NSW are in effect.

To see permitted reasons to travel and answers to frequently asked questions, visit Information for cross-border communities.

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.

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):