Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton has issued a statement just now to say anyone who has been in, visited or travelled through the local government areas of Brisbane City Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Redland, Ipswich or Logan city councils since January 2 should not leave those areas until at least Monday.
“All Victorians in these areas are advised to follow the guidance of the Queensland Government and any Victorian with plans to travel to these areas should cancel them,” he said.
“National Cabinet has declared Queensland a national hotspot after the discovery of a UK variant of COVID-19 in a cleaner at a Brisbane quarantine hotel.
“Those who have arrived in Victoria from these areas since January 2 should get tested, remain at home or place of accommodation until Monday, when a further assessment will be made.”
Mr Sutton said Victoria was working other jurisdictions to address this matter which is “obviously of national concern”.
“The department is working through the implications for our current permit system and will provide more information on this shortly,” he said.
“The border with NSW remains closed and the department is working though more than 4000 exemption applications for travel to Victoria for compassionate and medical reasons.
“579 exemptions have been granted so far and staff are processing the most urgent cases first with priority given to Victorian residents. Every exemption is assessed on a case-by-case basis and is being processed as quickly as possible.
Information about border permits and applying to enter Victoria is available here.
Victoria has recorded one new case of coronavirus since yesterday in a returned international traveller in hotel quarantine, a woman in her 30s.
The number of active cases in Victoria is now 39, made up of 28 locally acquired cases which is no change since yesterday and 11 cases in hotel quarantine, an increase of one in the past 24 hours.
The number of active cases linked to the Black Rock Restaurant cluster remains at 27.
“Contact tracing interviews and investigations are continuing into the Victorian outbreak situation,” Mr Sutton said.
“As a result, more exposure sites may be discovered and details about exposure sites may change.”
A list of each exposure site, including dates and times, can be found here.
He said yesterday 23,108 tests were processed, bringing the overall testing total in Victoria since the pandemic began to 4,088,211.
“At least 10,000 additional tests were conducted yesterday that produced negative results, with reporting delayed due to an IT issue with a private pathology provider,” he said.
Mr Sutton said these negative results would be reported in the official numbers tomorrow.
“The response by Victorians to present for testing has been remarkable,” he said.
“There have been more than 200,000 tests taken in Victoria since January 1.
“Please get tested at your nearest available testing location. Wait times at testing sites across the system have substantially reduced but delays can still be expected at some of our busier testing centres.”
The department is publishing expected wait times at testing sites andupdated information about locations and hours of operation here.
