By Luke Voogt
A returned Geelong traveller currently in hotel quarantine is among the two latest Victorian COVID-19 cases, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Confirmed greater Geelong cases rose to 65 as of midnight last night, with one active case, the department confirmed.
Victoria recorded an increase of two, bringing the state total to 1605, with both cases being “detected in returned travellers in hotel quarantine”, the department said.
Local government area numbers are recorded by the residential address provided when the case is recorded, not where the case is confirmed.
This means the confirmed Geelong case could be in hotel quarantine in another location.
In Victoria 180 confirmed cases of coronavirus may have been acquired through community transmission.
Currently eight people are in hospital with COVID-19, including three patients in intensive care, while 1520 people have recovered.
More than 430,000 tests have been processed so far.
To date 19 people have died from coronavirus in Victoria.
The total 1605 cases include 848 males and 757 females, with 1330 cases occurring in metropolitan Melbourne and 234 in regional Victoria. Several cases remain under investigation.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton warned Victorians to remain vigilant.
“Restrictions around some activities have now been eased in Victoria in recognition of the current low rate of community transmission of this virus,” Professor Sutton said.
“While encouraging, we need to remain vigilant. It is increasingly important that we stay at home when unwell and get tested, 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.”
Professor Sutton urged any Victorians with even mild symptoms to get tested.
“The more tests we do, the more data we have about the prevalence of coronavirus in the community,” he said.
“People with even the mildest of symptoms of coronavirus including fever, chills, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose or loss of … smell are encouraged to get tested.”
The department revised the Surf Coast Shire tally from 10 to nine last Wednesday, with no active cases in the municipality.
