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CENTRAL Victoria remains without active COVID-19 cases, according to the latest government statistics.
Department of Health and Human services figures for Friday show zero active cases in central Victorian local government areas.
Regional Victoria has seven active cases, four in the Mitchell Shire and three in Greater Shepparton.
A total 150 cases of COVID-19 are active in metropolitan Melbourne.
Noon
Premier Daniel Andrews says the government still looks likely to announce changes to COVID-19 restrictions, saying the state was poised to take "significant steps" out of lockdown.
The premier's comments came as the state recorded just two new cases of COVID-19, both in Melbourne and one of which belonged to a household member of an earlier confirmed case. The other case is under investigation.
But Mr Andrews cautioned that the prospective changes would not be "everything that everyone wants".
He said the hard border between regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne would stay in place.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Martin Foley has announced that Moira Mac's in Bendigo will join a food industry saliva testing surveillance program in the coming week.
Hazeldene's at Lockwood and KR Castlemaine are already taking place in the scheme.
Mr Andrews said almost all results from the 11th day of testing in Kilmore had been returned and there were no further positive cases.
The incident management team for that outbreak was stood down on Thursday.
Mr Andrews said about 40 per cent of all the tests undertaken in the Shepparton area, where three people had recently contracted COVID-19, had been returned and there were also no positive results among them.
He said this was an encouraging sign.
Goulburn Valley Health says it continues to undertake contact tracing and testing, and 233 close contacts are being monitored.
There are currently 157 active COVID-19 cases in Victoria, seven of which are in regional Victoria.
Of these, three are in Greater Shepparton and four are in Mitchell Shire, down from five the previous day.
The rolling 14-day average of daily new cases stands at 8.7 in Melbourne and 0.6 in regional Victoria.
Mr Foley said the wastewater surveillance scheme, which monitored sewage at 42 wastewater plants for traces of the novel coronavirus, had detected no traces of the virus at regional sites recently.
The minister also said 97 per cent of COVID-19 test results were being returned within one day, up from 93 per cent in September.
At October 13, there were 17 COVID-19 cases for which the origin was unknown. These were all in Melbourne.
Earlier
VICTORIA has recorded two new COVID-19 cases, as the testing blitz continues in parts of regional Victoria.
It is Victoria's lowest daily total of coronavirus cases since June 9, when no new cases were confirmed.
The last time the state recorded two new COVID-19 cases was June 8.
The Department of Health and Human Services on Friday also confirmed there have been no further deaths overnight.
Read more news:
The latest figures bring the rolling 14-day case average for metropolitan Melbourne to 8.7.
The rolling average for regional Victoria sits at 0.6, with the rolling state average at 9.5.
It comes as a coronavirus testing blitz continues in Greater Shepparton after three COVID-19 cases were found in the city on Tuesday.
Goulburn Valley Health chief executive Matt Sharp said as of Thursday, authorities had identified 340 close contacts and about 70 secondary close contacts to the positive cases.
More than 1000 Shepparton residents presented for testing in the past two days.
The Public Health Unit Bendigo confirmed it was assisting Goulburn Valley Health with contact tracing and active case management in Shepparton.
A unit spokesperson said people should get tested and quarantine if they visited any of the high risk locations listed at dhhs.vic.gov.au/case-locations-and-outbreaks
The spokesperson said anyone who had been to Shepparton recently - or had close contacts who had been to the regional city - should keep a close eye on their health.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Tara Cosoleto
Journalist covering courts and general news at the Bendigo Advertiser.
Journalist covering courts and general news at the Bendigo Advertiser.
