By Luke Voogt
Geelong has recorded no new COVID-19 cases for a fortnight, with the latest confirmed case in the city passing the average recovery period for mild cases.
Confirmed greater Geelong coronavirus cases have remained on 63 since midnight on April 21, while Surf Coast cases have remained on 10 since April 10, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Last week Barwon Health communications director Kate Bibby said the number of active cases was “likely to be very low” locally but warned of possible asymptomatic or undiagnosed cases.
The result comes as the state total increased by 17 to 1423, including 11 more cases linked to an outbreak at Cedar Meats processing facility in Brooklyn.
The increase takes the number of cases linked to the meat-processing facility to 45.
The spike showed that “our battle against COVID-19 is far from over” despite Victorians “flattening the curve”, Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said.
“Now is not the time for complacency,” Professor Sutton said.
The additional six cases included a returned traveller in hotel quarantine, four identified through increased testing and one under investigation, according to the department.
The 1423 cases state-wide included 748 males and 675 females, with cases ranging from infants to people in their 90s.
Eighteen Victorians, aged from their 50s to 90s, have died after contracting coronavirus.
Currently, 12 people are in hospital, including six patients in intensive care, and 1311 people have recovered.
In Victoria, 143 confirmed cases may have been acquired through community transmission with almost 152,000 Victorians tested since Sunday, according to the department.
Professor Sutton encouraged Victorians to join in “a major testing blitz across the state” over the next two weeks.
“The main aim of this increase in testing is to improve access and actively search for cases, allowing us to gain a better picture of this virus and make informed decisions for Victoria.
“We are asking Victorians to again play their part and get tested if they have symptoms, because the more tests we do, the more data we have about the prevalence of coronavirus in the community.
“People with common symptoms of coronavirus including fever, chills, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose or loss of sense of smell – however mild – are encouraged to get tested.”
Of the 1423 cases, 1166 occurred in metropolitan Melbourne and 218 in regional Victoria. Several cases remain under investigation.
Meanwhile police fined 26 people yesterday for breaching COVID-19 restrictions while conducting 888 spot checks at Victorian homes, businesses and non-essential services.
