Hepburn has recorded its first confirmed case of coronavirus as the Victorian tally surged overnight with 51 new cases confirmed.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
While the majority of confirmed cases are in Melbourne, the regional tally is rising with 12 cases in rural areas including one confirmed in Ballarat earlier this week.
Announcing that Victoria had now recorded 229 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Victoria's chief health officer Dr Brett Sutton said we will continue to see more cases in the state.
New density requirements have been implemented for indoor venues in addition to the cap of a maximum of 100 people.
The new requirements dictates there should be no more than one individual per four square metres of floor space in indoor areas required to have fewer than 100 people.
"We are trying to embed social distancing in settings of any size whatsoever," he told the media.
He said everyone, even families at home, should consider the density of people in a confined space.
"A family in the US lost four family members after a family gathering so think about it for private residences, think about it in whatever social setting you might be in. You need that 1.5m to 2m distance," he said.
"It doesn't matter if you are well, other people may be unwell and you can pit it up if you are too close to them. It might be they are not infected bu they could be.
"It's really critical that you think about yourself not just in terms of the risk for you. If you were to become infected and not realise you are infected you could bring it to other vulnerable people."
Dr Sutton said many younger people were not getting the message about what the coronavirus means for the entire population, and warned someone was dying every two minutes from coronavirus in Italy.
"If you care the people around you, if you think about protecting your family, parents, grandparents, especially those in vulnerable groups ... you have to think about making distance between you and other people in all settings, all of the time."
For the virus to spread, extended close personal contact is most likely required. Close personal contact is at least 15 minutes face-to-face or more than two hours in the same room.
"We urge the public to take steps now to minimise the risk of COVID-19. Everyone has a role to play in protecting yourself and your family. Hands should be washed regularly with soap and water. Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow. If you are ill, stay at home."
The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services has a hotline for public information on COVID-19 which is 1800 675 398. Large numbers of calls will result in some delays. Further information is also available at https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus
Have you signed up to The Courier's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.
