Victoria has recorded five new locally acquired cases of coronavirus as the state enters its second day of a snap lockdown.
The new cases were detected from 56,624 test results processed on Friday, an apparent record for the state.
There are now 45 active cases of COVID-19 in Victoria, which includes another two recorded in hotel quarantine.
Tweet from @VicGovDH
The state is entering day two of its latest COVID lockdown, as authorities try to contain an extra-infectious strain of the virus.
Victorians have been told not to leave home except to shop for food and essential items, to provide or receive care, for exercise, work or study, or to get vaccinated.
People must observe a five-kilometre travel limit for exercise and shopping, and wear masks both indoors and outdoors.
Most infections are linked to the City of Whittlesea cluster in Melbourne, with cases testing positive for the B1617 strain first identified in India.
Authorities detected just four new cases on Friday, but the state’s chief health officer Brett Sutton cautioned “it’s not over yet”.
“You really never know what to expect,” he said.
“We absolutely have to recognise that there are thousands and thousands of close contacts that are still to go through the incubation period who could become symptomatic.”
More than 15,000 primary and secondary contacts have been told to self-isolate after coming into contact with a COVID case.
The state government has asked for 160 defence force personnel to help check on the thousands of people who have been told to isolate at home.
Late on Friday, the list of exposure sites had grown to 150, including a flu vaccination centre in the suburb of Preston.
Authorities are also urgently trying to track down people who attended five exposure sites: The Sporting Globe in Mordialloc, Three Monkeys and Somewhere Bar in Prahran, The Local in Port Melbourne, and The Palace Hotel in South Melbourne.
The state’s coronavirus hotline was flooded with more than 77,000 calls in 15 minutes when it was announced on Thursday that eligibility for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine would be opened up to people aged 40-49.
Some 10,000 bookings were confirmed on Thursday, while more than 2000 bookings were made before 9am on Friday.
People struggling to get through were urged to call back later, rather than turning up at mass vaccination centres.
More staff have been assigned to answer calls, while work is underway on an online booking system.
It’s estimated the lockdown will cost the state’s economy about $2.5 billion.
The lockdown is set to end at 11.59pm on June 3.
-with AAP
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