23/04/2020
What's new?
Developments in the outbreak
- As of 23 April 2020, the total number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Victoria is 1,337, an increase of 1 since yesterday.
- 27 people are in hospital, including 10 people in intensive care. 16 people have died.
- 135 cases have an unknown source of infection, unchanged since yesterday and 1,251 people have recovered. To date, more than 93,000 Victorians have been tested.
- Of the total 1,337 cases, there have been 1,057 in metropolitan Melbourne and 242 in regional Victoria. A number of cases remain under investigation.
- There have been 163 confirmed cases in healthcare workers, unchanged since yesterday, across at least 7 hospitals and 1 radiology clinic.
- A total of 45 cases are reported in people in mandatory hotel quarantine which is an increase of 1 since yesterday.
- The total number of cases in Australia is currently 6,650.
- Up-to-date epidemiological data is available on our website.
Current advice to clinicians
- Victoria’s public and private hospitals will begin doing more elective surgeries from next week.
- Category 2 and some category 3 elective surgeries will gradually resume from 27 April 2020.
- Surgeries that will be allowed include IVF procedures, post-cancer reconstruction procedures, eye procedures and cataracts, endoscopy and colonoscopy procedures, some dental procedures, joint replacements including knee, hip and shoulder and screening programs for cancer and other diseases. It also includes all procedures for children under the age of 18.
- The Department of Health and Human Services is working with health services and staff in both the private and public systems to assess their surgical capacity and ability to increase procedures, when it is safe to do so.
- Upon reopening, priority will be given to the patients of highest need, based on surgical advice of the hospital where the surgery is scheduled. Elective surgery patients should not call their hospitals but should wait until the hospital notifies them.
Key messages for the community
- The rules are clear - Stay home. Protect the health system. Save lives.
- There are only four reasons to leave home:
- shopping for what you need - food and essential supplies
- medical, care or compassionate needs
- exercise in compliance with the public gathering requirements
- work and study if you can’t work or learn remotely.
Current directions arising from the declared state of emergency
The State of Emergency in Victoria has been extended until midnight 11 May 2020.
The current directions remain in place and include: staying at home, restrictions on particular activities, detention, restrictions on airports and cruise ships, aged care, hospitals and isolation for people diagnosed with COVID-19.
More information viewed at the department’s website. The site also contains a page of frequently asked questions providing further guidance on the directions.
More information
Clinical information
Health services and general practice - coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Consumer information
About Coronavirus (COVID-19) - information for the general public
World Health Organization - health topic - Coronavirus
Contacts
Medical practitioners needing clinical information or to notify suspected or confirmed cases can contact the Department of Health and Human Services Communicable Diseases Section on 1300 651 160 (24 hours).
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