Victoria has recorded seven new coronavirus infections today, bringing the total number of active cases to 261.
It comes as the government announces an overhaul of the state's hotel quarantine system, following the findings of an inquiry.
One of the new cases is linked to a known outbreak. Six are under investigation and one case was reclassified.
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https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1311802536387653632The total number of deaths has risen to 802 after two fatalities were recorded including one woman and one man in their 80s.
"Both of these deaths are linked to aged care and again we send our condolences and our sympathies to those two families," Premier Daniel Andrews said today.
There are 38 Victorians in hospital, four of those are in intensive care and there of those four are on a ventilator.
The state conducted 12,550 test results in the most recent reporting period.
Mr Andrews encouraged Victorians to continue to be tested over the weekend, particularly due to sunny weather which could see increased movement around the state.
"It makes a massive difference to the completeness of the picture that we are working with, as well as in very practical terms. If you get tested, if you are positive, we can support you, we can support your family and we can make sure that you don't spread this virus, almost always unknowingly, to other people," he said.
"The weather on the weekend will be better. Can I ask every Victorian, if you have got symptoms this weekend, please don't wait until Monday to get tested … We will get the result back to you within 24 hours."
The numbers bring Melbourne's rolling average down to 12.8 and regional Victoria to 0.2
Regional Victoria recorded no new cases today, with just three cases remaining in the 'active' phase.
There have been 14 mystery cases in the last two weeks – all in metro Melbourne.
Changes made to hotel quarantine scheme
Authorities have provided details on changes made to Victoria's hotel quarantine system which has been urgently overhauled following the findings of an inquiry.
New standards and procedures will now be implemented to avoid the failings of the state's earlier system.
The operation now includes emergency accommodation for community members who can safely isolate or quarantine at home, as well as frontline worker accommodation.
Victoria's Attorney-General Jill Hennessy, who is now responsible for the COVID-19 accommodation program, said authorities have undertaken "extensive and important reviews" into "everything from cleaning and waste disposal, from transport to baggage handling, from training to infection control, welfare and medical support, food, recreation, mental health support provision".
Ms Hennessy said the review also included a review of all infection-control procedures and the new system was now focused on ensuring higher standards for those overseeing the quarantine programs.
"We're focused on making sure we have have strong and accountable leadership," she said.
"In terms of the structures that we are now using to deliver emergency accommodation, we're making sure that we have got proper oversight, audit and proper checks and balances, training and really making sure that we continue to keep very, very focused on our infection controls.
"There are also some very, very clear processes that we have put in place for those residents and staff to be able to report and to be able to raise any concerns about any potential issues."
Returning travellers to be checked as soon as they leave the plane
Emma Cassar, Commissioner of Corrections Victoria, has reassured Victorians about changes to the state's quarantine accommodation system.
The new procedures include changes the way travellers entering the state by air are dealt with on arrival at Melbourne Airport.
"When people arrive, that is as people come off the planes on the aerobridge, we will start the assertive screening there," Ms Cassar said.
"Anyone who is asymptomatic or has high temperatures will be taken straight to the health hotels, whether this is about a COVID response or broad care and treatment."
Face-to-face training will now be provided to staff working at quarantine hotels.
"This training has been endorsed by external infection-control experts and a previous Chief Health Officer," Ms Cassar said.
The training of security guards responsible for the state's previous hotel quarantine system was identified as a major factor that led to the deadly second wave of COVID-19.
The review has also led to a new standards for quarantine hotels.
"We have reviewed and updated all of the standards that have a basis within infection control. So things like cleaning standards, waste standards, linen standards, food standards and all of the activities that are the foundation of how we can stop the virus spreading," Ms Cassar said.
Regular spot checks and audits of quarantine accommodation will also be implemented to ensure better surveillance and compliance.
"We want Victorians to feel very, very assured with the accommodation program is a very, very focused one," Victoria's Attorney-General Jill Hennessy said.
"It is under the highest degrees of management and scrutiny and we are focused on one thing - ultimately making sure that we reduce transmission to return Victoria to a position where we are absolutely managing this virus."
Infected hotel staff had same strain as Rydges security
Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton answered questions about nine staff members working at quarantine hotels who have tested positive to COVID-19 since the beginning of July.
The staff infected include five Spotless staff, two Alfred Health staff, one Department of Health and Human Services staff member and one member from Victoria Police.
The staff had been contracted by Alfred Health to perform floor-monitoring and other customer service roles at the Novotel and the Brady hotels but were removed from their roles and replaced with police on Wednesday.
Professor Sutton said six of the staff members have undergone genomic sequencing, revealing they were infected with the same strain of COVID-19 that originated from the Rydges hotel and was circulating widely through the community at the time.
"The six that did have genomic sequencing, essentially show it is linked to the cluster or the community strain, which as you know, originated from the Rydges and is now widespread in the community but that essentially points to a genomic link to community transmission," he said.
"One of the three for whom there is no sequencing was a household member of two others.
"So, almost certainly (they) acquired their infection through transmission in the household."
Professor Sutton said none of the nine staff members spread the virus to anyone else.
"There were very good behaviours for a start. People isolated and people identified their close contacts and those close contacts were followed up quickly and quarantined. There is no further transfer of transmission from those people," he said.
Shopping centre cluster stands at 11
There are now 11 cases to The Butcher Club cluster at Chadstone shopping centre.
"A number of individuals who are staff there, the entire staff are in quarantine, are considered close contacts for the purpose of contact tracing," Professor Sutton said.
"There are other individuals who may be linked to that work site as well.
"So, we have stood up both testing for asymptomatic staff at Chadstone more broadly.
"We're happy to test those individuals without symptoms in the same way we would in an abattoir, but also testing for symptomatic individuals who are visitors to Chadstone."
Of the 11, one is linked to a family of nine people that live in Frankston and are in supported accommodation.
Patient zero for the Chadstone cluster has not yet been identified.
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