By Brendan Rees
The number of reported Covid-19 cases for Casey City has remained steady at 53, 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 stood at 1343 – an increase of six from yesterday (Thursday 23 April).
There were no new deaths reported yesterday. To date, 16 people have died from coronavirus in Victoria.
The total number of cases is made up of 697 men and 646 women, with people aged from babies to their early nineties.
There are 135 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Victoria that may have been acquired through community transmission. Currently 27 people are in hospital, including 11 patients in intensive care. 1,254 people have recovered. More than 96,000 tests have been completed.
Of the total 1,343 cases, there have been 1,062 in metropolitan Melbourne and 243 in regional Victoria. Several cases remain under investigation.
In other parts of the southeast, 14 cases have been recorded in Greater Dandenong and 13 in Cardinia.
The department is investigating a number of notified cases of coronavirus at a private inpatient psychiatric facility.
At this time there are 14 known cases linked to this outbreak, including five patients.
The department is actively working with the facility to ensure appropriate isolation, quarantine, contact tracing and other public health actions are in place.
The facility is currently not accepting any new admissions.
“Our daily case numbers are still low which is encouraging. They prove that our physical distancing measures are working but this is not a time to relax our strong approach – this disease can get away from you very quickly as we have seen in cities overseas,” Victoria’s Chief Health Office Professor Sutton said.
Meanwhile, in the past 24 hours Victoria Police officers issued 54 fines to those breaching the directions in relation to staying at home, restricted activity and isolation directions after conducting 661 spot checks across the state as part of Operation Sentinel.
Examples of breaches that resulted in fines involved group gatherings at private residences including three men who attended a birthday party in Romsey; four men and one woman who gathered in public at the Winchelsea football oval, and multiple people committing criminal offences, including robberies, vehicle theft and drug related offences.
Ambulance Victoria have been preparing for a number of different health scenarios to manage and respond to Covid-19 as well as working with its partners including Life Saving Victoria, St John’s Ambulance Victoria, non-emergency patient transport providers and third year paramedic students to ensure they have access to a reserve workforce.
Ambulance Victoria is also fast tracking 120 additional paramedics who will hit the ground from May.
