Coronavirus in Victoria: state records 363 new active coronavirus cases

The number of COVID-19 cases announced today is more than the 217 cases recorded on Saturday, but less than the record high of 428 cases on Friday.

There are now 5696 cases of coronavirus in Victoria, with 2837 of those cases remaining active.

Of those 363 cases, 36 are connected to known and controlled outbreaks and 327 are under investigation by the public health team.

There have been three further deaths from COVID-19 in the state since yesterday, two men in their 90s and a woman in her 90s, bringing the states total number of fatalities to 38.

One hundred and thirty people are currently in hospital, an increase of 20 from yesterday, with 28 of those in intensive care.

During a morning press conference, Mr Andrews announced new restrictions that will make it mandatory for all people in Greater Melbourne and Mitchell Shire lockdown areas to wear a mask or face covering when they leave the house.

The rule will come into effect from 11.59pm on Wednesday night and police will enforce it with $200 fines for people not wearing a mask or face covering.

There will be some reasons not to wear a face covering under the rule.

For example, those who have a medical reason, kids under 12 years of age, those who have a professional reason or if it's just not practical, like when running.

People in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire will still be expected to carry their face covering at all times to wear when they can.

Mr Andrews said the mask could be a surgical mask, homemade reusable mask, or a scarf to cover the face, because 'any face covering is better than no face covering'.

"This is a relatively simple thing, but it is also about embedding behaviour that will be just as important on the other side of this second wave as it is for bringing case numbers down," he said.

"We are going to be wearing masks in Victoria and potentially other parts of the country for a very long time. It is about changing habits and it becoming a simple part of your routine.

"It is about getting the maximum benefit of the strategy we have in place. It is an extra layer of protection but it doesn't mean you can be any less vigilant about hand hygiene and staying at home."

Wearing masks and face coverings is recommended for regional Victorians, including people in Ballarat, but is not mandatory.

However regional Victorians will have to wear a mask when visiting metropolitan Melbourne or Mitchell Shire for one of the permitted reasons.

People are recommended to not touch the front of their mask when taking off, to wash their hands with soap and water or hand sanitiser before and after putting it on or taking it off and to not touch it when wearing it.

People using reusable masks are encouraged to wash their masks daily and use a clean one every day.

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During the press conference, Mr Andrews said 26674 people were tested for coronavirus yesterday at the state's 160 testing sites.

A new secondary testing site was opened at the Ballarat Senior Citizens Centre yesterday for appointments only.

Mr Andrews thanked everyone Victorian who had come forward for testing, even with the mildest of symptoms.

"That data is the key to winning this battle and knowing where those cases are and being able to take steps to isolate positive cases and their close contacts to limit the spread," he said.

"It is a simple thing but it makes a powerful difference for all of us."

The daily release of case numbers in each local government area, including Ballarat, is expected to be released later today.

For more information on COVID-19, visit: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus.