The number of reported Covid-19 cases for Casey City has remained steady at 49 – with one less case in the past day, according to the state’s latest health data.
The Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services figures showed the total number of coronavirus cases in Victoria was 1291 – an increase of 10 from yesterday (13 April), as testing for the virus expanded with 40 screening clinics now open across the state.
There were no new deaths reported yesterday. To date, 14 people have died from coronavirus in Victoria.
The total number of cases is made up of 672 men and 619 women, with people aged from babies to their early nineties.
In other neighbouring local government areas, the number of cases in Greater Dandenong also remained steady with 16 cases while Cardinia had 11. A further breakdown of cases showed Stonnington remained the highest in the state with 88 confirmed cases, which included suburbs such as Toorak and South Yarra.
There have been 122 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Victoria that may have been acquired through community transmission. Currently 40 people are in hospital, including 15 patients in intensive care with 1,118 people who had recovered. More than 71,000 Victorians have been tested to date.
Testing will now be based only on the clinical symptoms of Covid-19 regardless of age or occupation – making Victoria’s testing criteria the widest in Australia.
These symptoms include any new fever, chills or breathing problems, specifically cough, sore throat or shortness of breath.
Only people in the general community with these symptoms will be eligible for testing.
Healthcare workers and other frontline employees will be able to have their test results returned faster, allowing them to get back to their vital work in the community as soon as possible.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said Victoria had been been successful in decreasing the number of cases coming from overseas due to reduced international travel and quarantine measures but conceded “we now need to focus on finding cases that are being transmitted in our community to further slow the spread”.
“We must remain vigilant and not erode the gains made in slowing the spread of the virus. Now is not the time for complacency. We still have a long way to go,” he said.
Meanwhile, in the past 24 hours, Victoria Police officers have issued 99 fines to those breaching the directions in relation to staying at home, restricted activity and isolation directions as well as 507 spot checks. Fines included four people gathering together outside shops in Baxter after visiting friends, multiple instances of private gatherings at residential properties, and four people having a barbeque at a Brighton Beach bathing box.
The current testing criteria is available at https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/health-services-and-general-practitioners-coronavirus-disease-covid-19
