08/06/2020
What's new?
Developments in the outbreak
- As of 8 June 2020, the total number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Victoria is 1,687 which is an increase of two since yesterday.
- 177 cases have been acquired in Victoria where the source of infection is unknown, which is the same as yesterday.
- Seven people are in hospital, including two people in intensive care. 19 people have died. 159 people have recovered.
- Of the total 1,687 cases, there have been 1,403 in metropolitan Melbourne and 236 in regional Victoria. A number of cases remain under investigation.
- There have been 188 confirmed cases in healthcare workers, no change since yesterday’s report.
- More than 543,000 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
- 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.
- Any coronavirus test reported by a laboratory as having detected SARS-CoV-2 on PCR will be treated as positive for the purposes of public health actions, regardless of repeat testing of the sample. It is not appropriate to advise a patient that a test is a false positive without prior consultation with the department. 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 whilst the mobile testing sites continue to be operating.
- 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.
Key messages for the community
- Maintain physical distance from others and avoid crowds, wash your hands regularly and cough and sneeze into a tissue or your elbow, stay home and get tested if you’re unwell.
- Victoria’s State of Emergency has been extended to 11.59pm on 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.
- View more information on current restrictions and how to stay safe on this site.
More information
Clinical information
Latest coronavirus information for Victorian health services and general practice
Consumer information
Victoria's current restrictions
Latest coronavirus information from the World Health Organization
Latest travel advice from Smartraveller
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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