³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾

Victoria was notified of 1,438 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. All were locally acquired.

There are 11,018 active cases in Victoria – 11,017 locally acquired and one overseas-acquired case.

There are 398 COVID-19 cases in hospital in Victoria. 83 of those cases are in intensive care, with 57 cases on a ventilator.

Sadly, the Department was notified of five deaths yesterday:

• a man aged in his 60s and a man aged in his 90s, both from Hume
• a man aged in his 70s from Moreland
• a woman aged in her 70s and a man aged in his 80s, both from Whittlesea.

This brings the total number of deaths from the current outbreak to 41, and the total number of deaths in Victoria since the pandemic began to 861.

The total number of confirmed cases in Victoria since the beginning of the pandemic is 37,333.

Eighty per cent of Victorians aged 16 and over have now had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and close to half have had two doses.

Update: NSW City of Lismore now a Red Zone

The NSW Local Government Area of Lismore is now classified as a Red Zone under Victoria’s travel permit system, after it was reclassified at 11:59 pm on 29 September 2021.

Victorian residents who have been in the Lismore LGA since 30 September 2021 can now apply for a Red Zone permit to enter Victoria.

Returning residents must immediately isolate for 14 days after arriving home. They must also get tested for COVID-19 within 72 hours of arrival, and again on Day 13 of their quarantine period. They will not be released from quarantine until they receive negative results from their Day 13 test.

People who do not normally live in Victoria cannot cross the border, except in limited circumstances under an exemption (e.g.: for compassionate reasons), an exception (e.g.: emergencies) or under permits such as a Specified Worker Permit or Transit Permit.

Update: Eligibility changes to Extreme Risk Zone permits

Victorian residents who have been in an Extreme Risk Zone at any time since the zone started over the past 14 days can now get an Extreme Risk Zone permit to enter Victoria if:

• they have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (exceptions apply for people under 18 or those who have an exemption from a medical practitioner), and
• they have tested negative to COVID-19 in the 72 hours before entering Victoria.

Upon their return to Victoria, residents must:

• immediately enter and stay in quarantine for 14 days, regardless of any negative test result
• get tested for COVID-19 within 72 hours of arrival, and again on Day 13 of their quarantine period.

Victorian residents are not eligible for an Extreme Risk Zone permit if they have been to an exposure site, been diagnosed with COVID-19, are a close contact of someone who has COVID-19 or have any symptoms of COVID-19.

People who are not Victorian residents are not eligible for an Extreme Risk Zone permit.

For more information, visit .

Vaccines

Following advice from Victoria’s public health team and greater certainty from the Commonwealth on projected vaccine supply, the dosage interval for the Pfizer vaccine will be reduced from six weeks to three weeks on 4 October 2021.

Anyone who has received their first dose of Pfizer will be able to bring forward their second dose – if they choose to – from 4 October.

The recommended interval between Pfizer doses is three to six weeks. This is in line with ATAGI advice.

A new high-volume vaccination centre will open at La Trobe University’s Bundoora campus on Friday.

The Broadmeadows pop-up vaccination clinic on Widford Street also reopened today for one week due to demand from the local community.

We welcome the Commonwealth’s announcement today that Victorians aged 60 and over will be able to access Pfizer or Moderna through GPs and pharmacies.

Victoria’s state-run hubs continue to prioritise access to Pfizer for people under 60 years of age.

Yesterday, 34,323 vaccine doses were administered by Victoria’s state-commissioned services.

The total number of doses administered through state-run services is 3,532,497.

Grants are on offer to pharmacies and GPs to turbocharge the local rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. To register expressions of interest, visit .

Victorians are encouraged to book their COVID-19 vaccination through their local GP or community pharmacy, community health service or state vaccination centre. To find a provider and make a booking, visit the .

Outbreaks

Of the 1,438 cases reported yesterday, the following Local Government Areas in metropolitan Melbourne recorded more than one newly diagnosed case:

• 26 cases in Banyule
• 5 cases in Bayside
• 11 cases in Boroondara
• 83 cases in Brimbank
• 29 cases in Cardinia
• 72 cases in Casey
• 37 cases in Darebin
• 6 cases in Frankston
• 14 cases in Glen Eira
• 37 cases in Greater Dandenong
• 21 cases in Hobsons Bay
• 329 cases in Hume
• 13 cases in Kingston
• 23 cases in Knox
• 11 cases in Manningham
• 23 cases in Maribyrnong
• 19 cases in Maroondah
• 27 cases in Melbourne
• 90 cases in Melton
• 17 cases in Monash
• 32 cases in Moonee Valley
• 114 cases in Moreland
• 6 cases in Mornington Peninsula
• 4 cases in Nillumbik
• 28 cases in Port Phillip
• 21 cases in Stonnington
• 11 cases in Whitehorse
• 159 cases in Whittlesea
• 99 cases in Wyndham
• 16 cases in Yarra
• 6 cases in Yarra Ranges.

There were also 46 cases notified in regional Victoria yesterday:

• 1 case in Ballarat
• 3 cases in Baw Baw
• 1 case in Colac Otway
• 3 cases in Gannawarra
• 2 cases in Greater Geelong
• 5 cases in Greater Shepparton
• 2 cases in Latrobe
• 1 case in Macedon Ranges
• 12 cases in Mitchell
• 6 cases in Moorabool
• 2 cases in South Gippsland
• 1 case in Swan Hill
• 4 cases in Warrnambool
• 3 cases in Wodonga.

Data on Victorian coronavirus cases is available at .

Of the COVID-19 cases in hospital yesterday, 76 per cent were unvaccinated, 19 per cent were partially vaccinated and five per cent were fully vaccinated.

There are currently more than 30,600 active primary close contacts in isolation in Victoria.

At midday today, there were more than 580 published exposure sites in Victoria – but the most prevalent exposure site in Victoria is the family home, with almost 60 per cent of all cases in new households.

For more information on each exposure site, including dates and times of exposure, please visit .

There may be occasions when the Department is unable to make contact with a business or residential premises before their listing as an exposure site. At all times, we take the decision of when to publish these sites in the interests of public health.

The Department regularly manages exposure sites that it doesn’t publish online, particularly if these sites represent lower-risk exposure, or if they have comprehensive record-keeping and contact-tracing measures, or if they identify small, private locations – including smaller apartment or townhouse complexes.

Wastewater testing

COVID-19 viral fragments have been detected in wastewater samples taken from the following regional areas:

• Seymour – repeated unexpected detections in an area that includes Seymour. The period of interest is 20-28 September.
• Ballarat – repeated unexpected detections in an area that includes Lake Gardens, Mitchell Park and Wendouree between 15 and 28 September. Additional unexpected detections were found in Alfredton, Cardigan and Lucas on 27 and 28 September.
• Ararat – unexpected wastewater detection in area that includes Ararat. The period of interest is 26-28 September.
• Mildura – unexpected wastewater detection in area that includes Mildura. The period of interest is 26-28 September.

The detections could be an undiscovered new case or cases or could be the result of one or more people in these areas who have recovered from COVID-19 but are still shedding the virus.

Anyone who lives in, works in or has visited the areas above is urged to watch for the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms and get tested as soon as possible if symptoms develop.

For more information on wastewater testing, visit .

Testing

Two new high-volume COVID-19 testing sites opened today – one at Pascoe Vale Road in Coolaroo and the other at Deakin University in Burwood.

65,497 COVID-19 tests were processed yesterday.

Getting tested as soon as you have symptoms will help health authorities identify new positive cases and provide proper care for your family.

If you are concerned about losing money from missing work, support is available – including the $450 test isolation payment. For more information, go to .

To find your nearest COVID-19 testing site, visit . Operating hours and wait times will vary.

More information

To access the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Victoria, visit