Active Covid-19 cases continue to decline in Victoria

Benalla Rural City has still not seen any new cases since the three initially reported.

While that might imply it is time to drop the restrictions and get back to normal, the reality is that all of those cases started with just one.

And while there are still active cases across the country, it is unlikely restrictions will be lifted fully.

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However, to look on the bright side, it would not be a stretch to assume there is light at the end of the tunnel.

And if we all keep dong the right things it might not be too long before we are all sitting in cafes and bars talking about "that time we were on lockdown".

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Victoria is 1351 – an increase of two since yesterday.

One new case was identified, but there is no net increase to the total as one case was removed and is now counted in the national numbers as a NSW case.

There were no new deaths reported yesterday. To date, 17 people have died from coronavirus in Victoria.

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The total number of cases is made up of 700 men and 651 women, with people aged from babies to their early 90s.

There are 139 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Victoria that may have been acquired through community transmission.

Twenty-three 23 people are in hospital, including 11 patients in intensive care.

One-thousand two-hundred and seventy-nine people have recovered. More than 109 000 tests have been completed.

Of the total 1351 cases, there have been 1097 in metropolitan Melbourne and 216 in regional Victoria. Several cases remain under investigation.

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On Monday the Victorian Government announced a massive expansion of testing, which will help inform decisions about slowly lifting restrictions ahead of the State of Emergency being reviewed on May 11.

“Up to 100 000 Victorians will be tested for coronavirus over the next two weeks as part of a major testing blitz across the state,” Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said.

“Victorians have done a remarkable job sticking to the coronavirus restrictions, and by staying home have saved lives.

“We are now asking Victorians to again play their part and get tested, because the more tests we do, the more data we have about the prevalence of coronavirus in the community.

“People with commons symptoms of coronavirus, including fever, breathing difficulties, breathlessness, cough, sore throat, fatigue or tiredness and anyone who has any symptoms, no matter how mild, such as a runny nose or scratchy throat are encouraged to get tested.

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“Our daily case numbers are still low which is encouraging.

“They prove that our physical distancing measures are working, but this is not a time to relax our strong approach – this disease can get away from you very quickly as we have seen in cities overseas.”

The Department of Health and Human Services follows up and monitors all close contacts of confirmed cases and provides them with information and support.

All close contacts must self-isolate for 14-days.

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There are only four reasons for Victorians to leave their home: food and supplies, medical care and care giving, exercise, and work or education.

Police have strong powers to enforce these directions and can issue on-the-spot fines, including up to $1652 for individuals and up to $9913 for businesses.

Under the State of Emergency people who do not comply could also be taken to court and receive a fine of up to $20 000. Companies face fines of up to $100 000.

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