COVID 19 chief health officer update | Nick Tsagaris

COVID-19 Chief Health Officer update Updates from Victoria's Chief Health Officer Dr Brett Sutton on COVID-19.

What’s new

Victoria was notified of 21,728 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. All cases were locally acquired except for one, which was acquired overseas.

There are 69,680 active cases in Victoria. The total number of confirmed cases in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic is 274,123.

Sadly, the Department was notified yesterday of six deaths of people aged in their 70s, 80s and 90s.

The 10 LGAs with the highest number of new cases are Casey, Melbourne, Brimbank, Melton, Hume, Greater Dandenong, Moreland, Port Phillip, Stonnington and Wyndham.

Mandatory reporting of positive Rapid Antigen Tests From today, anyone who tests positive on a Rapid Antigen Test is considered to be a probable case of COVID-19 and must immediately isolate for seven days and notify their contacts – just like those who test positive on a PCR test.

Anyone with a positive Rapid Antigen Test must report their result online at Reporting your result or call the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398. Interpreter services are available by selecting Option 0.

For more information, refer to Nine easy questions for rapid COVID response.

Density requirements for indoor venues There is a density limit of 1 person per 2 sqm in all indoor areas in hospitality venues (e.g. restaurant, bars, and nightclubs) and certain entertainment venues (karaoke, arcades, escape rooms, adult entertainment, gaming, bingo and the casino). Other entertainment venues do not have a density limit (such as theatres, cinemas, galleries, concerts).

For more information, see Sensible steps to reduce testing queues and transmission.

COVID-19 vaccinations State-run vaccination centres are taking appointments for children aged 5 to 11.

Parents and carers can make a booking by calling the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398 (8am to 8pm, 7 days a week) or using the online booking system with a unique email address.

This could be a new or alternative email address used by you or your child.

If you’re aged 18 or over and had your second vaccination four or more months ago, you're eligible for your third dose. You can get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines regardless of the COVID-19 vaccine you received for your initial doses.

You can book your vaccination appointment online. For walk-ins, please check the list of vaccination centres to find the opening hours for individual sites. Otherwise, to obtain your vaccination, please use the Vaccine Clinic Finder to find a participating GP or pharmacy.

Vaccines 5,096,518 vaccine doses have been administered by Victoria’s state-commissioned services, with 20,726 administered yesterday at state-run centres.

94.5 per cent of Victorians aged 12 and over have now had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 93 per cent have had two doses. This excludes the most recent Commonwealth data.

13 per cent of Victorians aged 18 and over have had three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Testing 68,202 COVID-19 tests were processed yesterday. The total number of tests performed in Victoria since the pandemic began is 17,766,172.

Advice for cases and contacts Helpful information is available online for cases and household, social, workplace, education and other contacts.

See the checklists and recommend them to your patients.

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.

The Department publishes expected wait times at testing sites as well as updated information about locations and hours of operation at Where to get tested.

For more information call the 24-hour Coronavirus Hotline at 1800 675 398 or visit Coronavirus (COVID-19) Victoria.

Current advice to clinicians Notifications to the department of a confirmed diagnosis of 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.

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 changes in sense of smell or taste) Note: testing is also recommended for people with new onset of other clinical symptoms consistent with COVID-19** AND who are from the following cohorts: close contacts of a confirmed case of 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.

Clinical information Clinical guidance: caring for people with COVID-19 Case and contact management guidelines for health services and general practitioners Latest coronavirus (COVID-19) information for Victorian health services and general practice Latest information about providing immunisation services during Coronavirus Pandemic Andrew Wilson, Chief Medical Officer Safer Care Victoria, speaks about the importance of staff completing declarations to consider their health before they start work Position Paper on Aerosol-Generating Respiratory Therapies

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