By Luke Voogt
Geelong has recorded 14 new COVID-19 cases with 23 more in Colac, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
Greater Geelong had 59 active cases as of midnight on Wednesday, with total cases since the pandemic began increasing from 120 to 134.
Colac Otway Shire recorded 23 new cases with one case recovering, bringing its total active cases to 76.
The department has so far linked 64 cases to an outbreak at Colac’s Australian Lamb Company Abattoir.
The owner of a Breakwater chicken plant, Turosi, has so far confirmed 10 positive cases linked to the facility but DHHS has yet to classify it an outbreak.
A number of the total 420 employees that underwent tests for COVID-19 (390 negative, 20 pending) live outside of Geelong.
The spike in the two municipalities comes as Victoria yet again recorded the largest daily rise for an Australian state so far and a record 13 deaths.
Victoria recorded 723 new COVID-19 cases yesterday with 29 reclassified, largely due to duplication, increasing the total by 694 to 9998.
Of the 13 deaths, 10 are linked to aged care facilities. To date, 105 people have died from coronavirus in Victoria.
They include three men in their 70s, three women in their 70s, three men in their 80s, two women in their 80s and two men in their 90s.
Of the new cases 64 are linked to outbreaks or complex cases, and 660 are under investigation.
Victoria has 5385 active cases with 1698 cases from unknown transmission.
Currently 312 Victorians are in hospital after contracting COVID-19 with 34 in intensive care, while 4259 people have recovered.
Of the total cases, 9230 are from metropolitan Melbourne, while 565 are from regional Victoria.
More than 1,574,600 tests have been processed to date. There are 877 active cases relating to outbreaks across aged care facilities
Surf Coast and Golden Plains shires’ cases remained level yesterday on four and eight respectively.
Cases currently linked to public housing in North Melbourne, Flemington and Carlton are as follows:
311 cases are residents of various public housing towers in North Melbourne and Flemington.
66 cases are residents of various public housing towers in Carlton.
Active aged care outbreaks with the highest cumulative case numbers are as follows:
94 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Ardeer
111 cases have been linked to St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Fawkner
90 cases have been linked to Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping
81 cases have been linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth
67 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Heidelberg
62 cases have been linked to Menarock Life Aged Care Facility in Essendon
56 cases have been linked to Glendale Aged Care Facility in Werribee
52 cases have been linked to BaptCare Wyndham Lodge in Weribee
49 cases have been linked to Outlook Gardens Aged Care Facility in Dandenong North
42 cases have been linked to Arcare Aged Care Facility in Craigieburn
A single case in a staff member has been notified at the BlueCross Willowmeade residential aged care facility in Kilmore. The facility has been locked down and all staff and residents will be tested.
Cases currently linked to key outbreaks are as follows:
121 cases have been linked to Bertocchi Smallgoods in Thomastown
106 cases have been linked to Somerville Retail Services in Tottenham
82 cases have been linked to JBS in Brooklyn
64 cases have been linked to Australian Lamb Company in Colac
30 cases have been linked to Woolworths Distribution Centre Mulgrave
30 cases have been linked to Melbourne Health Royal Park Campus
22 cases have been linked to Respite Services Australia in Moonee Ponds
20 cases have been linked to Nino Early Learning Adventures in Bundoora
19 cases have been linked to Hazeldean Transition Care, Western Health
16 cases have been linked to the Linfox Warehouse in Truganina
11 cases have been linked to Diamond Valley Pork in Laverton North
