By Luke Voogt
Geelong has no active COVID-19 cases for the first time 86 days, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
Greater Geelong had no active cases as of 11.59pm on Monday night, the first time since July 5, according to the department.
Geelong’s active cases reached a peak of 180 on August 10, amid Victoria’s second wave of the pandemic.
But the number has been steadily falling since regional Victoria returned to stage three restrictions in response to the second wave.
The number has continued to fall amid a slight easing of restrictions in regional Victoria on September 17.
Colac has just one active case, with Barwon Health head of infectious diseases Eugene Athan confirming that a Colac resident was currently at University Hospital Geelong after contracting COVID-19.
“There has been one Colac resident admitted to our intensive care unit with COVID-19 during the pandemic,” Professor Athan said.
“They are currently stable and improving slowly. We expect their status will be cleared from the active DHHS tally soon.”
Victoria recorded 10 new cases of coronavirus yesterday, with one reclassified, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 20,158.
Of the ten new cases, one is linked to Embracia in Moonee Valley aged care, one to Western Health, one to Monash Health and seven remain under investigation, according to DHHS.
Active cases dropped by 33 across Victoria from 359 to 326, with just six active cases in regional Victoria.
DHHS has reported seven new deaths since yesterday, with six linked to aged care outbreaks, bringing Victoria’s death toll to 794.
The deaths include a man in his 60s, a man in his 70s, a woman in her 80s, two men in their 80s, a woman in her 90s and a man in his 90s. Three deaths occurred prior to yesterday.
The average number of cases diagnosed in the last 14 days for metropolitan Melbourne is 18.2 and 0.6 for regional Victoria.
The total number of cases from an unknown source in the last 14 days is 27 for metropolitan Melbourne and zero for regional Victoria.
Currently 46 people are in hospital, including five in intensive care, after contracting COVID-19, while 18,978 people in total have recovered.
A total of 2,677,022 test results have been received, an increase of 8,226 since yesterday.
