Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews provides a COVID update as 50 new cases recorded

1.30pm

More positive COVID cases will be unearthed in the Shepparton community in the coming days, Victoria's COVID commander said.

Jerone Weimar said the outbreak was following a natural progression.

"We've got four significant school involved in an outbreak, all the cases in Shepparton are linked at this point in time we can really understand those both through families and a little bit through the schools," he said.

"Obviously [there are] a large number of exposure sites so we're still at the opening phase of the campaign in Shepparton.

"We've got a lot more people to test over the next two to three days so I'd expect to continue to see numbers rise over the next few days and then we'll see a significant number of people in isolation... that number will grow and we'll then start to see more positive cases emerge but they will have been in isolation...

"The challenge now for the Shepp area is making sure we've got everyone contained and that everyone is getting tested."

Mr Weimar said they were investigating the link between Shepparton and the Glenroy cluster in Melbourne after genomic testing linked the pair.

12pm

Seven of Victoria's 50 new cases of COVID are linked to the Shepparton outbreak bringing the total number of people infected in the cluster to 44 cases.

COVID Commander Jerone Weimar said the Shepparton was connected to the Royal Melbourne Hospital cluster.

He said the index case of the hospital cluster was a Shepparton man closely linked to hosueholds in the Shepparton cluster.

Mr Weimar announced genomics testing has confirmed the Shepparton is linked to Melbourne's Glenroy cluster, though the exact link is not yet known.

"That genomic link gives us a very good lead into terms of finding that actual connection between the Glenroy and the Shepparton cluster," he said.

"We have a number of lines of inquiry and I will of course keep you updated."

Mr Weimar said 3840 primary close contacts of which almost half had returned an initial negative case.

"We have a very firm grip on the Shepparton outbreak at this time," he said.

PREVIOUSLY:

Victorians aged 16 to 39 will be eligible for vaccination at state run centres from tomorrow.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the change means anyone aged 16 to 59 will be eligible to receive either Pfizer or AstraZeneca.

Those aged over 60 will continue to get AstraZeneca.

Over the next four weeks there will be an additional 830,000 appointments for vaccinations at state run centres.

"This is a very significant expansion of the program," he said.

However, Mr Andrews said, there is not enough vaccination for everyone so asked people to be patient.

Additional staff will man booking systems tomorrow.

He urged everyone with existing vaccinations to keep their appointments.

34 people are in hospital, nine in the ICU and seven on ventilators.

Mr Andrews said people from all age groups were in hospital.

"This is very much everyone's business," he said.

The state recorded 50 new cases of COVID-19 of which only 11 were in isolation through their infectious period.

40 of the cases were linked to known outbreaks, with 10 mystery cases under investigation.

Yesterday, Victoria recorded 71 cases of COVID.

IN OTHER NEWS:

In his daily briefing on Monday Victoria's COVID Commander Jerone Weimar confirmed the Shepparton cluster had grown to 37 cases across about eight households.

Goulburn Valley Health chief executive Matt Sharp has confirmed more people tested positive last night, but did not specify the number.

Mr Weimar said the Mansfield man who tested positive to COVID in Wangaratta Hospital had visited Shepparton but the dates didn't quite line up.

The man has since been transferred to Melbourne.

Murrumbidgee Local Health District has confirmed all tests returned so far in the wake of the Lachlan Shire case, have been negative.

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