AS OF JULY 17:
* 428 new cases, the 12th consecutive day of a triple-digit increase and the record daily total in Australia
* Three deaths confirmed, bringing the state’s toll to 32
* 5165 cases across Victoria since the pandemic began
* 122 patients in hospital with 31 people in intensive care
* 57 cases connected to known outbreaks
* One case connected to quarantine
* 370 cases under investigation
* More than 1.25 million tests have been conducted since testing began in January, with 24,409 tests completed on Thursday alone
THE NEW CASES INCLUDE:
* Nursing homes in Brighton, Plenty, Greensborough, Werribee and Sunshine
* Three more cases linked to Al-Taqwa College with that outbreak at 160
* 14 more cases tied to Somerville Retail Services in Tottenham, bringing the total cases to 51
* Seven more cases linked to Menarock Life Aged Care Facility in Essendon, taking that to 38 cases
* 32 cases linked to JBS abattoir in Brooklyn, up three cases from Thursday
* 15 more cases linked to Estia Health in Ardeer bringing the total to 36
* About 20 new cases linked to the Alfred Street public housing tower in North Melbourne, bringing it to a total of about 70
EXTRA TESTING SITES IN REGIONAL VICTORIA:
* New or expanded sites at Echuca, Wonthaggi, Bendigo, Shepparton, Koo Wee Rup, Mildura, with more to come
* 60 testing sites currently operating in regional Victoria
* About 42 cases have been recorded in regional Victoria since July 1, Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said on Friday
* Five public health teams are being established in regional health services to undertake contact tracing and identify cases
* Regional Victorians leaving home for lawful reasons are being asked to wear face masks if they cannot maintain social distancing
QUOTES:
* ‘That ring around Melbourne and Mitchell Shire is working, in terms of reducing the spread of this virus into regional Victoria but it can change. It can change if people do not follow the rules.’ – Premier Daniel Andrews.
* ‘Certainly 428 new cases is both disappointing and concerning. We have not turned the corner here.’ – Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton.
* ‘The only thing that matters is getting on top of this.’ – Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
EXERCISE:
* The state government has issued another directive about exercise, tightening the rules and stressing that people must stay local whenever possible.