| 16 August 2021
22 | 0 | 0 | 205 | 0 | 29,986 | 8,830,528 |
Cases locally acquired | Cases acquired interstate | Cases acquired overseas | Active cases | Lives lost | Tests processed yesterday | Total tests since pandemic began |
3,278,112 | 17,041 | 11.83 |
Number of permits issued
(Jan 11 – 7am today) | Number of permit applications processed in the past 24 hours | Average # of permits issued per minute in the past 24 hours |
Victoria was notified of 22 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. All are locally acquired cases.
There are 205 active cases in Victoria – 203 locally acquired and two overseas acquired cases.
There are six COVID-19 cases in hospital in Victoria. One case is in intensive care.
The total number of confirmed cases in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic is 21,166.
Update: Extended lockdown
Strengthened extensions are in effect from 11:59pm Tuesday 16 August.
To see more information, visit https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/extended-melbourne-lockdown-keep-victorians-safe-0.
Full information will be available when proposed Directions are in effect.
Update: Outbreaks
Of the 22 new locally acquired cases, 14 cases were quarantine throughout their infectious period.
Of the locally-acquired cases:
· 11 are linked to Al-Taqwa – 4 students and 7 household contacts
· 2 are linked to Glenroy West Primary School – 1 student and 1 household contact
· 2 cases are linked to the Newport community outbreak – 1 worker at an associated exposure site, and 1 household contact of a case
· 1 case is linked to CS Square – a household contact
· 1 case is linked to the new East St Kilda community outbreak – a social contact of a known case
· 1 case is a household contact of a mystery case announced yesterday from the City of Dandenong area. Following investigations, this case is linked to current cases.
· 2 cases are from Altona North, living in the same household. Following investigations, these cases are now linked to the Newport Community Outbreak via an exposure site.
There are two cases for which investigations are still underway into an acquisition source:
· Both reside in a residential tower in Lygon St, Carlton. The cases were identified through targeted wastewater surveillance. The cases have moved to Hotel Quarantine. Their highest risk primary close contacts have tested negative. Their floor will be managed as Tier 1 primary close contacts, with the remainder of the building managed as a Tier 2 exposure site.
There are currently more than 14,200 active primary close contacts in isolation in Victoria.
Authorised officers, supported by the Australian Defence Force, continue to visit homes across Victoria to ensure that people are isolating correctly and are well supported. 1200 household visits were conducted yesterday. Officers are seeing a strong level of compliance.
There are more than 500 exposure sites in Victoria and that number continues to grow.
Please check the website for all exposure sites and the dates and times of exposure at: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/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 – 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.
Update: Vaccinations
19,880 vaccine doses were administered by Victoria’s state-commissioned services yesterday.
The total number of doses administered through these services is 1,968,875.
More and more appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine are opening up. For more information, see: https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/more-and-more-victorians-pick-reason-get-vaccinated
Victorians aged between 18 and 39 can attend a state-run vaccination centre to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine should they provide informed consent.
Anyone who is eligible to be vaccinated is strongly encouraged to make a booking.
Victoria’s online booking system is now live at: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/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 https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccination-centres.
Update: COVID-19 wastewater detections in Victoria
The Department is continuing to identify unexpected detections of COVID-19 fragments in wastewater in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.
The Sunshine West industrial area, Balwyn, Camberwell, Canterbury, Mont Albert and Surrey Hills, and the Truganina-Williams Landing areas are all showing repeat positive detections. The detections are in specific parts of those suburbs that have not recorded recent positive cases of COVID-19.
There are also regional detections in Shepparton and Lakes Entrance.
The Shepparton catchment includes the suburbs Shepparton, Kialla and small parts of Shepparton North and Orrvale. Anyone who lives, works or have visited those areas from 9 to 11 August is urged to watch for the slightest symptoms of COVID-19 and to get tested as soon as possible if symptoms develop.
The Lakes Entrance catchment includes the local government areas of Lakes Entrance, Lake Bunga, Kalimna, Lake Tyres and the Lake Tyres Aboriginal Trust. Anyone who lives, works or have visited those areas in Lakes Entrance from 8 to 11 August is urged to watch for the slightest symptoms of COVID-19 and to get tested as soon as possible if symptoms develop.
The wastewater testing program provides an early warning system at a population level and a cautious approach is always taken when these detections are found. In the past week wastewater testing has provided an early warning in three different metropolitan locations prompting additional individual testing and identification of cases.
The Department of Health has increased wastewater testing in areas with recent positive detections and will continue to monitor the situation closely.
More information is available at: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/wastewater-testing-covid-19
Update: Testing
29,986 tests were processed in Victoria yesterday.
Testing capacity is being expanded in the Port Phillip and Glen Eira area to support the East St Kilda community.
Testing capacity has also been increased in Caroline Springs, Maidstone, Plumpton, St Albans, Sunshine West and Sydenham.
See new and extended testing sites, where to get tested and expected wait times at https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/where-get-tested-covid-19.
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 https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au
Media enquiries: Department of Health Media Unit (03) 9096 8860 or press@dhhs.vic.gov.au
Media Release Attachment - CHO release - COVID-19 - 16 August 2021.pdf [Word, 138424 Bytes]
| 
