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Coronavirus (COVID-19) daily update

This Chief Health Officer update is intended to provide clinicians and the Victorian public with information about the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Victoria as well as relevant public health response activities in Victoria. Chief Health Officer Alerts will continue to be issued when there are changes to the public health advice related to coronavirus (COVID-19).

20/11/2020

What's new?

  • As of 20 November 2020, no new cases have been diagnosed since yesterday with the total number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Victoria at 20,345. This is Victoria’s twenty-first consecutive day with no new cases. 
  • Today’s 14-day average case number for metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria is zero.  
  • There have been no new deaths from COVID-19 reported since yesterday. To date, 819 people have died from coronavirus (COVID-19) in Victoria (no change since yesterday’s report). 
  • The total number of cases from an unknown source in the last 14 days is zero for metropolitan Melbourne and zero for regional Victoria. 3,762 cases may indicate community transmission (no change since yesterday’s report) 
  • There are two cases currently active in Victoria. 19,524 people have recovered.  
  • One person is in hospital. There are no cases in intensive care. 
  • A total of 3,475,749 test results have been received. This is an increase of 18,474 since yesterday.  
  • There are no active coronavirus cases remaining among healthcare workers. 
  • Victorian health authorities continue to closely monitor the situation in South Australia, including today’s developments of an anticipated easing of restrictions in SA on Saturday night.  We are actively considering any implications from these developments for Victoria’s policies at the South Australian border. 
  • Victoria and Tasmania, regard South Australia as a coronavirus hotspot.  
  • South Australia entered a six-day lock down at 12:01am Thursday 19 November 2020, with only a few permitted reasons to leave home. 
  • The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) authorised officers are meeting every flight from Adelaide into Melbourne airport at Tullamarine. 
  • Upon arrival, name and contact details are taken and a request for information regarding recent locations. Temperature and symptom checking are also undertaken. 
  • Depending on their risk profile, passengers are being required to quarantine if they attended any high-risk exposure sites or get tested and isolate until a negative result is received if they are from or have been to metropolitan Adelaide. All other South Australian (SA) travellers are advised to get tested if symptoms develop. 
  • Anyone who has been in SA in the last 14 days should check the exposure sites listed on the SA Health website and take the appropriate action.
  • Current classifications for this outbreak:
    1. Red: attended high risk exposure site – quarantine and will be managed as if close contact
    2. Orange: all other travellers from metropolitan Adelaide – get tested and isolate until negative result returned
    3. Green: all other South Australian travellers – get tested if symptoms develop. If any travellers have any symptoms, no matter how mild, they should get tested and self-isolate until the result is available.

Temporary border controls with South Australia

  • From 11:59pm Thursday 19 November the Victorian Government will implement a temporary “hard border” with South Australia for 48 hours in response to the coronavirus outbreak in Adelaide. 
  • From 11:59pm Saturday 21 November a permit system will apply for anyone wishing to enter Victoria from South Australia. Under the arrangements, the reasons to enter Victoria from South Australia from Saturday night will include:
    • if you are an emergency services worker or a worker providing essential services  
    • for agricultural work  
    • to receive medical care (including seeking coronavirus testing), obtain medical supplies or compassionate reasons  
    • to shop to obtain essential supplies  
  • Victoria Police will establish check points on roads between South Australia and Victoria.  
  • From Thursday 19 November, interstate truck drivers travelling through Victoria from South Australia will be offered extra testing at a site at Nhill on the Western Highway. Other testing sites are being activated at other major freight routes. Drivers can also be tested at more than 193 other sites across Victoria. 
     
  • We are encouraging residents of Hume and Wyndham with even the mildest symptoms to get tested at one of the five testing sites with further pop-up sites to come in the following days.
  • The Department is working with the local councils to better understand the opportunities to provide better access to testing and information, through forums, community leader sessions and letterbox drops.
  • More pop-up sites will also be set up in coming weeks at other local government areas, as well as summer hotspots. 
  • You can find further details in today’s coronavirus (COVID-19) media release.
  • The DHHS website has full details in the interactive daily report.
  • From 11:59pm Sunday 8 November, restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne eased to match the level of restrictions in regional Victoria. Visit the Summary of changes to restrictions for metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria page and stay up to date via the DHHS website.

Current advice to clinicians

  • Clinicians should be asking patients if they have been in South Australia and if so, to check the areas of risk defined by the South Australian government and recommended actions.
  • Statement on Rapid Antigen Testing for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) diagnosis in symptomatic persons.
  • Notifications to the department of a confirmed diagnosis of coronavirus (COVID-19) can be done online. You can submit an online form to our public health team, rather than calling us, saving you time and resolving your case load more efficiently.
  • The department is continuing to ask commercial passenger vehicle drivers and food delivery drivers to get tested for coronavirus (COVID-19). If commercial passenger vehicle drivers and food delivery drivers do not have any of the symptoms of COVID-19, they will not have to stay home to wait for their test results. Commercial passenger vehicle drivers and food delivery drivers will need to tell staff at the testing centre/site that they work in the industry.

COVID-19 Testing Criteria

  • Practitioners should 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 loss or change in sense of smell or taste)

    Note: testing is also recommended for people with new onset of other clinical symptoms consistent with coronavirus (COVID-19)** AND who are from the following cohorts: close contacts of a confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19); those who have returned from overseas in the past 14 days; or those who are healthcare or aged care workers. Testing is recommended for those cohorts with onset of other clinical symptoms**. Asymptomatic testing is not recommended at this stage except for targeted programs

    *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 coronavirus (COVID-19) testing, a list of testing locations can be found on the getting tested for coronavirus page.
  • If a symptomatic patient that presents for testing, confirms exposure to a known coronavirus (COVID-19) case within the past 14 days, and the outbreak definition is met, the test sample is to be treated as an ‘outbreak sample’.

Victoria's restriction levels

  • The State of Disaster is not to be renewed but the State of Emergency will be extended until 6 December to allow the Chief Health Officer’s directions to remain in force.

Key messages for the community

  • Rules still apply, you can still only have two visitors to your home, but they don’t need to be from the same household. Remember these restrictions remain important as many of the recent outbreaks came from home visits.
  • A household will be able to visit people in aged care and hospitals, once a day and limited to two hours.
  • Testing is a critical help to keep numbers down so it’s extremely important that if people have symptoms, however mild, they get tested. Go home straight after your test and isolate while you wait for the results. Go to the testing map for locations.
  • Public exposure sites are listed on the DHHS website. If you have visited any of the locations listed during the dates indicated, you should watch for coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms. If symptoms occur immediately get tested and stay at home while you wait for results.
  • Six COVIDSafe principles apply across Victoria.
    • Wear a face mask when you leave home (remains mandatory)
    • Don't go to work if you feel unwell.
    • Maintain physical distancing of 1.5 metres.
    • Cough and sneeze into a tissue or your elbow.
    • Perform good hand hygiene.
    • Outdoor activities carry less risk than indoor activities.
  • The Coronavirus (COVID-19) Home Safety Plan is available for download which tells you what you need to know to help you, your family and friends stay safe and well. 
  • Many Victorians are feeling fatigued, isolated or lonely. If you are in need of support for your mental health there are mental health resources you can access on our website.
  • If Victorians are not safe at home, they can seek help and support at an Orange Door or other family violence support service. If you or someone you know is at risk or experiencing family violence, call 000 in an emergency or safe steps 24/7 crisis service on 1800 015 188.
  • The Partners in Wellbeing hotline (1300 375 330) is available for referrals from people who identify as LGBTIQ, multicultural, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people, veterans and people experiencing homelessness.

Clinical information

Latest coronavirus (COVID-19) information for Victorian health services and general practice.

Latest information about providing immunisation services during Coronavirus Pandemic.

Online resources

Consumer information

Financial support – for coronavirus (COVID-19)

Translated resources in over 50 languages

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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