Victoria has recorded no new cases of coronavirus since yesterday. The total number of confirmed cases in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic is 20,449 - a decrease of one since yesterday as one case was reclassified.
There are no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in Victoria.
This is the 28th consecutive day where Victoria has recorded no new locally acquired cases of coronavirus.
The number of active cases in Victoria is 21, made up of zero locally acquired cases and 21 cases in returned travellers in hotel quarantine, a decrease of one since yesterday.
Update: International case under review
Investigations are continuing after a woman in her 60s returned a positive coronavirus test on 31 January after arriving in the Philippines from Victoria.
The woman is asymptomatic and, to date, test results from family and close contacts in Victoria have been negative. Further testing of the woman in the Philippines has been requested. This is likely to be a false positive result.
Update: Western Australia
The Department of Health is continuing to monitor the situation in Western Australia (WA). A number of WA regions have entered lockdown after WA recorded a positive case of coronavirus. Domestic travel restrictions now apply and a permit is required to enter Victoria under Victoria’s ‘traffic light’ travel permit system.
Our travel permit system is in place to protect Victorians. We thank everyone for their patience in helping us keep Victorians safe.
Data from green zone permits is used to record who has arrived in Victoria in case there is an outbreak and they need to be contacted.
We are keeping in contact with people who had arrived in Victoria from WA with a green zone permit between 25 January and 31 January and came from an area now designated a red zone.
As of 9:00pm Victorian (AEDT) time on Sunday, 31 January, the Perth metropolitan area, the Peel region and the South West region of WA have moved from a green zone to a red zone.
This time aligns with the WA Government’s stay at home orders for Perth metropolitan area, Peel region and South West region of WA. Anyone who is travelling from these red zones is in breach of the WA Government’s own stay at home directions.
If you have been in one of these currently listed WA red zones since 25 January, you will not be allowed to enter Victoria without an exception, exemption or permitted worker permit.
As at 4pm on Tuesday 2 February, 556 exemption applications have been made through the Service Victoria portal since Western Australia moved to a red zone. 239 interviews have been conducted with applicants. 54 exemptions have been granted. In a further 107 cases, applicants did not require exemption (e.g. they were from green areas) and the issue was resolved.
Every exemption is assessed on a case by case basis and is being processed as quickly as possible. Exemptions are limited and only granted in special cases.
The rest of Western Australia outside of the red zone areas of the Perth metropolitan area, the Peel region and the South West region remain green zones.
For more information on Victoria’s travel permit system, visit the Victorian Travel Permit System page.
Update: Wastewater samples
A weak detection of viral fragments from wastewater in Lakes Entrance on 28 January has been confirmed following further analysis.
Anyone who lives in or has visited Lakes Entrance from 26 to 28 January is urged to get tested for coronavirus (COVID-19) if they have any symptoms, however mild.
As previously reported, viral fragments have been recently detected in wastewater at several other locations. While viral fragments have not been detected in samples since taken from these sites, anyone who lives in or has visited Castlemaine, Cowes, Hamilton, Pakenham or Warrnambool from 25 to 27 January, Gisborne from 24 to 26 January, or Leongatha from 17 to 19 January, is urged to get tested if they have any symptoms.
Further information about the wastewater testing program can be found on the Wastewater monitoring page.
General advice
Coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms include fever, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath and loss or change in sense of smell or taste. If you are experiencing any symptoms, wear a fitted face mask when you get tested.
The department is publishing expected wait times at testing sites as well as updated information about locations and hours of operation at Where to get tested.
Information regarding COVID-19 is available at the Department of Health website or by calling 1800 675 398. Travel permit applications can be made through the Service Victoria portal.
Media enquiries:
Department of Health Media Unit (03) 9096 8860 or press@dhhs.vic.gov.au
| Cases acquired locally | Cases acquired interstate | Cases acquired overseas | Active cases | Lives lost | Tests processed yesterday | Total tests since pandemic began |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 16,142 | 4,492,365 |
|
Number of permits issued (Jan 11 - Midday today) |
Number of permit applications processed in the past 24 hours | Average # of permits issued per minute in the past 24 hours |
|---|---|---|
| 504,854 | 16,389 | 11.4 |