Update, 3.30pm: The two additional COVID-19 cases recorded in Moyne Shire overnight are linked to the Warrnambool cluster.
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The two cases are in two separate households in Moyne Shire, South West Healthcare said on Monday afternoon.
The individuals are aware and are isolating at home.
This takes the total to 23 active cases linked to the Warrnambool cluster.
Two people have been transferred to hotel quarantine in Melbourne resulting in:
- 18 active cases in Warrnambool
- Two new cases in Moyne
- One case identified in Moyne but not currently residing in Moyne and not linked.
"At this point, there have been no additional exposure sites listed," South West Healthcare said in a statement.
"Any additional sites will be listed as soon as we receive this information.
"Please remember, do not visit anyone in their homes or allow anyone into your home if they do not reside there.
"Please limit your movement as much as possible and continue to wear your mask, adhere to social distancing and attend hand hygiene so together we can maintain and eliminate the spread of COVID-19 in our community."
In the last few days SWH tested over 4000 people in Warrnambool.
There were 268 COVID-19 tests completed yesterday in Warrnambool across the various sites.
Around 95 per cent of Friday's tests have been returned with the rest expected to come through during the day.
Tomorrow's testing sites are:
- The South Warrnambool Football Oval Site from 7am till 4pm.
- The COVID testing clinic at Merri Street from 8am - 4pm. This clinic is only available via booking and is particularly targeting people with mobility issues or disabilities, parents with children and aged persons to ensure wait times are limited. To make an appointment please call 5563 1666 option 5.
- The Leura Oval at Camperdown is open from 3.30pm - 4.30pm.
The Deakin University Testing Site is closed tomorrow.
"If in doubt, please get tested," SWH urged.
"Stay positive and objective and let's keep getting vaccinate.
"It is important to eliminate this COVID-19 outbreak to ensure more people receive second dose vaccinations which will allow us to open up to the broader world in a controlled way.
"Thanks for all your support and for doing the right thing."
Update, 12pm: Two new COVID-19 cases have been recorded in Moyne Shire overnight, according to the Victorian Government COVID-19 data.
It brings active cases in the shire to three.
Postcode data says the cases reside in 3282 and 3283 between Warrnambool and Port Fairy.
There has also been one new case recorded in Colac-Otway, Surf Coast and Golden Plains shires.
No new cases have been recorded in Warrnambool.
Moyne Health is investigating the new cases, chief executive officer Jackie Kelly told The Standard.
More to come.
READ MORE:
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said there were 73 new COVID-19 cases recorded in regional Victoria overnight, bringing active cases outside Melbourne to 483.
He urged Victorians to get vaccinated, citing thousands of available vaccine appointments, including 100,000 Moderna vaccines up for grabs.
"The difference of vaccination is really going to be our pathway out of here," he said.
"And with the Moderna vaccine being available through our pop up clinics, and through pharmacies this is a unique opportunity for everyone who's eligible."
More than 56,000 Victorians have already had their first dose of Maderna either at a pharmacy or a state clinic.
There are another 100,000 doses ready to be booked across the state.
"Please take advantage of those appointments... as we've heard from our ICU nurses in recent days, people in ICU, are not double-vaccinated," Professor Sutton said.
"If you can get vaccinated in the coming days or weeks there is every chance that you will not be one of those statistics with severe disease in hospital in ICU."
Professor Sutton said authorities would begin listing only the highest risk exposure sites on the department of health website.
"We have to focus our efforts where we will get the most bang for buck," he told reporters.
"We are contacting every case and close household contacts are being quarantined. We are doing well on those metrics.
"People can't go through a hundred pages of tier two exposure sites online - they simply won't.
"It's not an effective use of all of that energy and human resources that can be put into the best and most effective interventions, which relate to household transmission and transmission of those close contacts.
"You will see we will be publishing the highest risk tier sites as well as letting households know and businesses know what they need to do for those particular higher risk exposures."
Update, 11.50am: Mobile COVID-19 vaccination vans will hit the road this week.
Some of Victoria's 'Smile Squad' dental vans will be used to support targeted vaccination efforts, in partnership with the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), community leaders and mainstream health services.
The first of three will travel to the City of Greater Shepparton, with another van travelling to the City of Latrobe later in the week.
They will be staffed and run by Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations and mainstream partners to remove transport and geographic barriers to access among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Victorians.
Over the last several weeks, vaccination in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community has been increasing week on week as further clinics continue to open.
While uptake among the community is high compared to other Australian jurisdictions, it is still lower than the broader Victorian population.
Currently, more than 65 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Victorians have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
From October 1 2021, all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are able to walk in without an appointment to any state-run vaccination centre across Victoria to be vaccinated.
Increased vaccine supply has been provided to Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations across Victoria to respond to increased demand.
Additional surge workforce support continues to be provided in Mildura, Gippsland, Shepparton and key areas in metropolitan Melbourne.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are at higher risk from COVID-19 due to a number of factors, including pre-existing medical conditions and large households.
Update, 11.40am:
Victorian authorities say the staged return of students to classrooms will be as safe as possibly can be, with measures like air purifiers and mandatory vaccination for teachers in place.
Deputy Premier James Merlino said authorities were rolling out about 51,000 air purifiers to schools across the state.
This week is the first week of Term Four.
Around 8000 VCE students were COVID-19 tested in hotspot postcodes over the weekend ahead of the GAT.
There were 33 positive cases uncovered.
Across Victoria, 52.5 per cent of the over 16 population is double dosed.
In the 12-15 age group, 160,000 young people have come forward for their first dose in the past few weeks.
The Victorian government will pour $230 million into the state's Tutor Learning Initiative.
The program is designed to support students whose learning was disrupted by COVID-19.
Victorian Deputy Premier James Merlino said the new funding would carry the schools program through to 2022.
Victoria records 1377 new cases with four deaths
Update, 10am: Victoria has recorded 1377 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases with four more deaths.
The new infections bring the number of active cases in the state to 9890.
More information will be provided on the seven deaths later on Monday.
This figure comes from 67789 test results according to the DHHS.
Health officials say 30985 vaccine doses were administered in the 24 hours to Sunday evening.
The latest figures come after intensive care nurses have made an impassioned plea for Victorians to get vaccinated, with the number of COVID-19 hospital patients set to soar this month.
Victoria reported 1220 new locally-acquired cases and three deaths on Sunday as hospitalisations continue to rise sharply.
There are 476 people in Victorians in hospital battling the virus, up 48 from Saturday, with 98 people in ICU and 57 requiring a ventilator.
Royal Melbourne Hospital ICU nurse unit manager Michelle Spence said it had 135 patients under its care, 19 of whom are in intensive care.
She said patients were "begging" for the vaccine before being placed on life support, including a man in his 30s with no underlying conditions.
"They are very young and once we get to that point where we are about to put them on life support, it really is too late," she told reporters.
Ms Spence choked up as she described the lonely deaths of people in ICU over the last 18 months, and implored Victorians not to delay getting the jab.
"I know you're frustrated. I know you're scared. I know you're over it. We're all over it. But it's time to absolutely make a difference," she said.
Jacqui Harper, nurse unit manager at the Northern Hospital, said staff were holding up iPads so dying patients could farewell their family.
"The clinical deterioration is so sad. One minute sitting in a chair, an hour later, they could be saying their goodbyes," she said.
More ICU beds will open at the Royal Melbourne on Monday to cater for patients waiting at home and in the emergency department.
Ms Spence said flying in interstate nurses to monitor the extra beds was on the cards, with Burnett Institute modelling predicting between 1200 to 2500 Victorians will require hospitalisation after daily cases peak in mid- to late- October.
"Nothing is off the table," she said.
Premier Daniel Andrews reminded Victorians the Pfizer dose interval at state-run clinics will halve from six to three weeks in state-run hubs from Monday.
He urged those with second-dose appointments to go online and re-book to help the state bring forward hitting its 70 per cent vaccination target, forecast for October 26, triggering the end of lockdown.
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Melbourne has claimed the unwanted title of the world's most locked- down city after spending 245 days under stay-at-home orders. It will surpass the record - set by Buenos Aires, Argentina
Mr Andrews said he was proud of the sacrifices Melburnians had made over the pandemic and called for them to make one final push over the next few weeks.
"We are going to get past this. We are going to end this lockdown and open up, and all that we will enjoy then will be a result of all that we have given," he said.
But Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has called for the state government to release a concrete reopening date, rather than one tied to vaccination rates.
"It is time for them to give us the date so we can come out of this mess," he told reporters.
Meanwhile, three Victorian students have tested positive after 3000 were tested on Saturday as part of targeted LGA testing for Tuesday's repeatedly rescheduled General Achievement Test.
All students who test positive will be granted an exemption.
For exposure sites visit www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/exposure-sites
- with AAP
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