Victoria records no new cases of COVID-19
Healthcare workers are seen at a personal protective equipment station inside of the Grand Hyatt Melbourne in Melbourne. Photo: AAP
Victoria had no new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday, the eighth consecutive day that state has gone without a local or interstate-acquired case.
It also reported no cases in hotel quarantine.
There are 29 active cases in the state.
The latest figures come as the first of 1200 international tennis players, support crew and officials are expected to arrive in Melbourne for the Australian Open.
Tweet from @VicGovDHHS
Some 16,533 tests results were received in the 24 hours to Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, a charter flight carrying tennis athletes and staff is scheduled to land at Tullamarine about 5pm on Thursday.
It will be the first of 15 incoming private flights in three days ahead of the the annual grand slam at Melbourne Park.
All of the players are expected to be “processed” in airport hangars, away from prying eyes and cameras, before being ushered away to quarantine.
The tournament has been delayed two weeks to February 8 after the Victorian government and tennis officials struck a deal over quarantine arrangements.
All players and staff arriving in Victoria must quarantine at one of three Australian Open-dedicated hotels for two weeks.
But each player and one support person – such as coaches and physiotherapists – are permitted to leave their hotel rooms for up to five hours for training and treatment. They will be tested daily.
Those in the “training bubble” are able to do so from the second day of their quarantine stint, providing they return negative virus test results.
If a player or staff tests positive, they will be transferred to a medi-hotel.
Elsewhere, Victorian authorities want anyone in the state who completed mandatory hotel quarantine at Brisbane’s Grand Chancellor hotel on or after December 30 to self-isolate and immediately contact its coronavirus hotline.
The health department said released travellers must get tested and quarantine at home until they receive a negative result. The updated alert came after six people from the hotel were found to have contracted the more infectious British strain of COVID-19.
-with AAP
