Coronavirus update for Victoria 28/05/2020

The total number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Victoria is 1618 – an increase of eight since yesterday.

There have been no new deaths reported. To date, 19 people have died from coronavirus in Victoria.

There have been 183 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Victoria that may have been acquired through community transmission.

Currently eight people are in hospital, including four patients in intensive care. 1539 people have recovered.

Of the total 1618 cases, there have been 1340 in metropolitan Melbourne and 235 in regional Victoria. Several cases remain under investigation. The total number of cases is made up of 854 men and 764 women. Almost 471,000 tests have been processed to date. 

Two cases of COVID-19 have been detected in staff members at Lynden Aged Care in Camberwell, bringing the total number of cases at that facility to three.

Close contacts of these staff members have been identified and placed into quarantine. The facility has been on lockdown since the notification of the original case on 19 May.

The source of their infection is under investigation, and all links are being followed up – including any potential contact with the original case at the facility.

Both cases were identified through testing of all staff and residents at the facility after an initial case was diagnosed. A further round of testing of all staff and residents has commenced.  Residents and families are being informed and the department is working closely with the facility to ensure appropriate public health actions have been taken.

A case of COVID-19 has been detected in a staff member at the Rydges on Swanston, Melbourne. 

The cause of infection is under investigation. The hotel is not currently open to the public but is being used by a small number of returned overseas travellers observing their quarantine at the hotel.

All identified household close contacts of the staff member have been contacted and placed into quarantine. Thorough cleaning of relevant parts of the hotel is being undertaken, alongside other appropriate public health actions including contact tracing, isolation and quarantine where required. 

Of the other new cases, three further cases were detected as part of community testing, one was detected in a returned traveller in hotel quarantine, and one case is under investigation.

 “Today’s increase in cases illustrates once again that while we have been flattening the curve, our battle against COVID-19 is far from over,” said Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton.

“Restrictions around some activities have now been eased in Victoria in recognition of the current low rate of community transmission of this virus.

“While encouraging, we need to remain vigilant. It is increasingly important that we stay at home when unwell and get tested, wash our hands regularly, sneeze and cough into our elbow and maintain physical distancing. These are common sense actions to ensure we don’t create a second wave of this serious disease, as we have seen in other countries once they have eased their stringent regulations.

“Victorians have done a remarkable job so far sticking to the coronavirus restrictions and staying at home has saved lives. But now is not the time for complacency.

“We are also asking Victorians to continue this amazing effort and get tested if they have symptoms of coronavirus, however mild, because the more tests we do, the more data we have about the prevalence of coronavirus in the community.

“People with even the mildest of symptoms of coronavirus including fever, chills, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose or loss of sense of smell are encouraged to get tested.” 

Cases by Local Government Area    

Please find the latest COVID-19 notifications by local government areas below.

Note:

• Residential location is the residential address provided when the case is notified. 
• This is not where they were infected and may not be where the case currently resides. 
• Numbers are correct as of 11.59pm last night but are subject to change as cases are followed up and data is analysed.