New coronavirus cases in Victoria as snap lockdown continues

A MELBOURNE aged care worker is among the new active coronavirus cases.

Read more: Melbourne aged care worker among the new COVID-19 cases

Sunday, 9.30am

ANOTHER five new locally-acquired cases have been recorded in Victoria.

Read more: More than 20 new exposure sites as COVID-19 cases rise again

1pm

THERE are 35 cases linked to the coronavirus outbreak that triggered the state's snap seven-day lockdown.

Victoria's COVID response commander Jeroen Weimar said about 3000 primary and close contacts had been identified, with 62 per cent of those people returning a negative COVID-19 test.

Of the five new cases recorded on Saturday, four were linked to the City of Whittlesea cluster while the fifth person was connected to the Port Melbourne workplace outbreak.

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Health Minister Martin Foley commended the more than 56,000 Victorians who underwent a coronavirus test on Friday.

"You are doing your bit to help our state stay safe," he said.

Mr Foley said while all of the new COVID-19 cases were based in Melbourne, it was important that the lockdown continued in regional and rural Victoria.

"We have already seen a number of exposure sites around regional Victoria - Cohuna, Bendigo and others - and we have also seen wide movement of Victorians around the state before the lockdown was put in place," he said.

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"We want to make sure, no matter where you are in Victoria, particularly regional and rural Victoria, that you are not exposed to the virus.

"It is based on the strongest public health advice that to protect the whole state, we need to do a short, sharp lockdown to protect the whole state."

Earlier, 9am

ANOTHER five new locally-acquired cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in the state.

The number of active coronavirus cases has risen to 45, with another two cases listed in hotel quarantine.

There were 56,624 people tested for the virus on Friday.

It comes after the state government confirmed an additional 20 exposure sites across the Melbourne suburbs of Reservoir, Mill Park, Epping, Dandenong, Craigieburn, and Carrum Downs.

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Health authorities said a positive coronavirus case worked during their infectious period, without symptoms, for a large food distribution centre.

The person visited multiple food stores and groceries across metropolitan Melbourne between May 18 and May 26.

The full list of exposure sites can be found here.

The state government is reminding Victorians about the COVID-19 restrictions as the state enters its second day of a seven-day circuit-breaker lockdown.

More information on the restrictions can be found here.

Victorians are only able to leave their homes for five permitted reasons: shopping for essential items, essential work, exercise for two hours a day, caregiving for compassionate reasons and to get vaccinated.

Other restrictions include compulsory masks in all settings outside the home, a five-kilometre radius ban on movement, and a ban on all private gatherings.

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There are also more people eligible for the COVID-19 vaccines, with those aged between 40 and 49 now allowed to receive the Pfizer jab.

Authorities administered more than 21,626 vaccinations on Friday.

Bendigo Health has encouraged people to book in for their vaccination at bendigohealth.org.au/registerforvaccine/

COVID-19 testing sites around Greater Bendigo will also be open on Saturday.

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