Coronavirus COVID-19 daily update

02/06/2020

What's new?

Developments in the outbreak

• Victoria’s State of Emergency has been extended until 11.59pm on 21 June 2020.
• As of 2 June 2020, the total number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Victoria is 1,663 which is an increase of 10 since yesterday.
• Ten new cases have been reported. Four are linked to known outbreaks, one is a healthcare worker linked to an aged care facility, and five were detected from routine testing. One of the five cases detected from routine testing is a staff member at a Macleod preschool.
• 169 cases have been acquired in Victoria where the source of infection is unknown, unchanged since yesterday’s report.
• Nine people are in hospital, including two people in intensive care.19 people have died. 1,563 people have recovered.
• Of the total 1,663 cases, there have been 1,382 in metropolitan Melbourne and 234 in regional Victoria. A number of cases remain under investigation.
• There have been 185 confirmed cases in healthcare workers, an increase of one since yesterday’s report.
• More than 521,000 test results have been received by the department since 1 January 2020.
• Up-to-date epidemiological data is available on our website.

Current advice to clinicians

• Current processing time for COVID-19 tests is one to three days.
• People who have been tested at a metropolitan retail testing site can call the dedicated Onsite Doctor Results Hotline on (03) 8669 0255 if they have been waiting more than five days for results. This hotline will operate from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, until 5 June 2020.
• Practitioners are encouraged to test any patients who meet the clinical criteria below:
  Fever OR chills in the absence of an alternative diagnosis that explains the clinical presentation*
  OR
  Acute respiratory infection (e.g. cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose or anosmia)
  
  Note: In addition, testing is recommended for people with new onset of other clinical symptoms consistent with COVID-19** AND who are close contacts of a confirmed case of COVID-19; who have returned from overseas in the past 14 days; or who are healthcare or aged care workers.
  
  *Clinical discretion applies including consideration of the potential for co-infection (e.g. concurrent infection with SARS-CoV-2 and influenza)
  
  **headache, myalgia, stuffy nose, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea.
   
• If referring your patients for COVID-19 testing, a list of testing locations can be found on the getting tested for coronavirus page.
• As the prevalence of COVID-19 remains low, practitioners are encouraged to consider testing for other infectious diseases as warranted by the patient’s clinical presentation and history, including travel history. Test for influenza in patients presenting with compatible respiratory symptoms and request a stool culture in patients presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms.
• An online form is now available for travellers seeking to request a change in mandatory quarantine arrangements due to exceptional circumstances.
• The Victorian Government has amended the Safe Patient Care (Nurse to Patient and Midwife to Patient Ratios) Act. This will result in extra nurses and midwives across the Victorian healthcare system

Key messages for the community

• Victoria’s State of Emergency has been extended to 21 June 2020, but some restrictions have been eased.
• As restrictions ease, it remains important that if you can work from home, you should do so.
• As we begin to settle into a new normal, our message is "stay safe". That means continuing to maintain physical distance from others, take appropriate hygiene precautions, avoid crowds, stay home and get tested if you're unwell.
• More information on current restrictions and how to stay safe can be viewed at Coronavirus (COVID-19) page.

More information

Clinical information

Health services and general practice - coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Consumer information

Victoria's restriction levels

World Health Organization - health topic - Coronavirus

Smartraveller website

Contacts

Medical practitioners needing clinical information or to notify confirmed cases can contact the Department of Health and Human Services Communicable Diseases Section on 1300 651 160 (24 hours).

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