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AAP
AAP
Health
Andi Yu

Victoria reports 19 new virus cases

Victoria has entered day two of its latest COVID-19 lockdown to news a further 19 locally-acquired cases have been recorded.

The state health department says all are linked to the current outbreak, which now numbers 43 community cases in total.

The list of exposure sites has grown by more than 30 locations since Friday evening, now at 165 sites.

Multiple new sites are categorised "tier 1", meaning anyone who has attended them in the specified time must get tested and quarantine for 14 days.

These include offices in Collins Square in the Docklands on 13, 14 and 15 of July and F45 gym in Richmond on 14 and 15 July.

Saturday's new cases are a significant rise from the 10 new cases reported on Friday.

A positive case reported by Deakin University on Friday afternoon is now reflected in the Victorian government's exposure site list as a "tier 2" site, requiring anyone who was present at the Waurn Ponds campus in buildings 1B and 1C on 16 July to get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.

Multiple other sites have been listed in Phillip Island, a two hour drive south of Melbourne, and in other Melbourne suburbs.

The highly infectious nature of the Delta variant of the virus was reflected in the new cases added on Friday, more than half of whom were strangers to the person who gave it to them.

Friday's cases included a man in his 20s who was the fourth person to unknowingly contract the virus from a group of NSW removalists who worked at a Maribyrnong apartment complex.

The man passed the virus on to four men unknown to him at the MCG and two strangers at Young and Jacksons pub in the CBD.

"Again we're back in the world of very fleeting transmission," COVID-19 commander Jeroen Weimar said.

A fifth lockdown which began in Victoria on Thursday night will run until at least Tuesday.

Premier Daniel Andrews has said he's certain Victorians will rise to the challenge as they have before.

Those who have lost work due to the lockdown will be eligible for weekly payments, jointly funded by the state and commonwealth governments.

Some 90,000 businesses and sole traders that received support during the fourth lockdown last month will be automatically eligible for state government payments of $2000 or $3000.

The rules applied during last month's lockdown were reimposed overnight, including the five reasons to leave home, a 5km travel limit for exercise and shopping, and compulsory mask-wearing indoors and outdoors.

All commercial furniture removalists have also been banned from entering Victoria for two weeks.

Transport workers travelling into Victoria from red zones will be required to get a COVID-19 test every three days instead of seven.

Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania have imposed barriers on travel from Victoria.

No overseas acquired infections have been recorded on Saturday.

Authorities administered 19,237 vaccine doses on Friday, while 47,606 tests were conducted.

Victorian exposure sites are listed here: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/exposure-sites

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