Victoria was notified of 19 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday.
All are locally acquired cases linked to the recent interstate incursions of COVID-19.
There were no reported cases in recently returned international travellers in hotel quarantine.
There were 54 active cases in Victoria - 43 locally acquired and 11 overseas acquired cases.
There were no COVID-19 cases in hospital in Victoria yesterday.
The total number of confirmed cases in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic is 20,767.
Update: Interstate incursions
All of the 19 new cases announced today are primary close contacts identified by the Department:
- One case attended the Carlton vs Geelong AFL match at the MCG on level two in the Melbourne Cricket Club Members' Reserve. Two of his contacts also have the virus and recently travelled to Phillip island.
- One further case is a social contact of the Trinity Grammar teacher who was at the MCG. Two additional cases are staff members at Trinity Grammar School.
- A positive case visited the Ms Frankie restaurant in Cremorne which has led to three cases at that venue, two staff members and a patron seated nearby.
- One case is a student at St Patrick's Primary School in Murrumbeena.
- Three cases at Bacchus Marsh Grammar including two staff and one student.
- Five new cases are linked to a positive case that visited the Young & Jackson Hotel. Four of these are household contacts being the man's wife and three daughters, and the fifth case is a partner of one of the daughters.
- One case is linked to the City of Hume outbreak.
This brings the total number of cases in the current outbreak to 43:
- There are six cases in the City of Hume outbreak.
- There are seven positive cases linked to the Ariele Apartments in Maribyrnong.
- There are now nine positive cases associated with Bacchus Marsh Grammar School and the Barwon Heads
- Primary School.
- The number of cases linked to the MCG now stands at 14.
- The number of cases related to the Young & Jackson Hotel is 7.
There are around 10,000 primary close contacts that have been identified. We are actively engaging with the following schools:
- Bacchus Marsh Grammar, Maddingley
- Barwon Heads Primary School, Barwon Heads
- Emanuel College Notre Dame Campus, Point Cook
- St Albans Meadows Primary School, St Albans
- St Patrick's Primary, Murrumbeena
- Trinity Grammar, Kew
Exposure sites are published at Case alerts - public exposure sites.
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.
Exposure sites are regularly reviewed based on intelligence and evidence, following case interviews.
Five-day lockdown for Victoria
On the advice of the Acting Chief Health Officer, the State of Victoria is in a 5-day lockdown until 11.59pm Tuesday 20 July. This lockdown has been put in place in response to new cases of COVID-19, a large number of popular exposure sites and to combat the Delta variant of this virus.
More information about the lockdown can be found at Statement from the Premier.
New rules for freight drivers and specified worker permits
The Victorian Government has tightened the criteria for freight and specified worker permits to manage the risk of those required to travel between NSW and Victoria.
This includes changing the definition of a Commercial Freight Worker to a person who is subject to the Freight Code. It includes a heavy vehicle driver, rail crew or a support worker.
The updated criteria blocks removalists who have been in a Red Zone or delivery drivers that have been in a Red Zone within the last 14 days.
It also blocks freight workers who are unable to unload cargo in a COVIDSafe manner from entering Victoria - for example, if they are unable to be avoid contact with other people or unable to avoid entering residential premises.
From 11.59pm last night (Friday 16 July), freight drivers will be required to test every three days - with new, dedicated testing sites set up to support this. A letter is now required from an employer to confirm specified worker eligibility.
Update: Vaccinations
Yesterday, 19,237 vaccine doses were administered by Victoria's state-commissioned services.
The total number of doses administered through these services is 1,365,838.
Victoria's online booking system is now live at Book your vaccine appointment
