Coronavirus update for Victoria – Wednesday 22 September

Victoria was notified of 628 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. All were locally acquired.

There are 6,223 active cases in Victoria – 6,222 locally acquired and one overseas-acquired case.

There are 257 COVID-19 cases in hospital in Victoria. 58 of those cases are in intensive care, with 37 cases on a ventilator.

Sadly, the Department was notified yesterday of three deaths – a woman aged in her 50s, a man aged in his 70s and a man aged in his 80s.

The total number of confirmed cases in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic is 30,216.

Restrictions

Lockdown in Ballarat will end at 11:59pm tonight.

For more information, see Lockdown in the City of Ballarat to lift on schedule.

In order to work, all staff in schools and early childhood services will be required to have a first dose by 18 October or have a booking within one week, with full vaccination required by 29 November unless a medical exemption applies – including in government and non-government schools and all types of early childhood and care settings.

For more information, see Following the three Vs for a safe return school.

Vaccines

Yesterday, 43,256 vaccine doses were administered by Victoria’s state-commissioned services. The total number of doses administered through state-run services is 3,244,196.

More than 74 per cent of Victorians aged 16 and over have now had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and almost 45 per cent have had both.

Outbreaks

Of the 628 cases recorded yesterday, the following Local Government Areas in metropolitan Melbourne recorded more than one newly diagnosed case yesterday:

  • 10 cases in Banyule
  • 3 cases in Boroondara
  • 34 cases in Brimbank
  • 14 cases in Cardinia
  • 26 cases in Casey
  • 23 cases in Darebin
  • 3 cases in Frankston
  • 4 cases in Greater Dandenong
  • 7 cases in Hobsons Bay
  • 194 cases in Hume
  • 7 cases in Kingston
  • 3 cases in Knox
  • 3 cases in Manningham
  • 6 cases in Maribyrnong
  • 5 cases in Maroondah
  • 25 cases in Melbourne
  • 27 cases in Melton
  • 4 cases in Monash
  • 8 cases in Moonee Valley
  • 47 cases in Moreland
  • 8 cases in Port Phillip
  • 7 cases in Stonnington
  • 4 cases in Whitehorse
  • 80 cases in Whittlesea
  • 52 cases in Wyndham
  • 8 cases in Yarra

There were 11 cases notified in regional Victoria yesterday:

  • 1 in East Gippsland (currently interstate)
  • 2 in Geelong
  • 1 in Macedon Ranges
  • 4 in Mitchell
  • 2 in Moorabool
  • 1 in Wangaratta

Data on Victorian coronavirus cases is available at Victorian coronavirus (COVID-19) data.

Around 57 per cent of cases identified in Victoria yesterday are in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, with about 24 per cent in Melbourne’s western suburbs.

Around 83 per cent of all active cases in Victoria are people under 50 years of age, while almost a quarter of cases are people in their 20s.

Of the COVID-19 patients in hospital yesterday, more than 81 per cent were not vaccinated and more than 15 per cent were partially vaccinated. 3 per cent were fully vaccinated, but this includes a number of aged care residents isolating in hospital for public health reasons.

There are currently more than 23,000 active primary close contacts in isolation in Victoria.

At midday today, there were more than 745 published exposure sites in Victoria.

For more information on each exposure site, including dates and times of exposure, please visit Case alerts – public exposure sites.

There may be occasions when the Department is unable to make contact with a business or residential premises before their listing as an exposure site. At all times, we take the decision of when to publish these sites in the interests of public health.

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

Wastewater testing

COVID-19 viral fragments have been detected in wastewater samples taken from the following regional areas: 

  • Ballarat area: suburbs of Lake Gardens, Alfredton, and Delacombe. The period of interest is 17-21 September with repeat detection.
  • Hamilton – there has been an unexpected detection in area that includes Hamilton. The period of interest is 18-20 September 
  • Geelong – there has been an unexpected detection in area that includes Corio, Norlane, and North Shore. The period of interest is 14-20 September 
  • Bendigo: Ascot, Bendigo, Big Hill, California Gully, Eaglehawk, Eaglehawk North, East Bendigo, Epsom, Flora Hill, Golden Gully, Golden Square, Huntly, Ironbark, Jackass Flat, Junortoun, Kangaroo Flat, Kennington, Long Gully, Maiden Gully, North Bendigo, Quarry Hill, Sailors Gully, Spring Gully, Strathdale, Strathfieldsaye, Wellsford, West Bendigo and White Hills.  The period of interest is 16 to 20 September  
  • Aireys Inlet and Fairhaven – The period of interest is 7 to 21 September.

The detections could be an undiscovered new case or cases or could be the result of one or more people in these areas who have recovered from COVID-19 but are still shedding the virus. 

Anyone who lives in, works in or has visited the areas above is urged to watch for the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms and get tested as soon as possible if symptoms develop. 

For more information on wastewater testing, visit Wastewater testing. 

Testing

60,829 COVID-19 tests were processed yesterday.

Getting tested as soon as you have symptoms will help health authorities identify new positive cases and provide proper care for your family.

If you are concerned about losing money from missing work, support is available – including the $450 test isolation payment. For more information, go to Financial support.

To find your nearest COVID-19 testing site, visit Where to get tested. Operating hours and wait times will vary.

More information

To access the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Victoria, visit Coronavirus (COVID-19) Victoria

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