By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Eleven new Covid-19 cases have been recorded in Greater Dandenong in the past 24 hours.
There are now 63 active cases in the council area.
Two schools in the area – Dandenong High School and Gleneagles Secondary College – have temporarily closed due to students testing positive for coronavirus.
In neighbouring Casey, there were 14 new cases. Currently there are 116 active cases.
Monash has 41 active cases, Kingston 33, Knox 22 and Frankston 15.
Across the state, there were 403 reported new cases – bringing the total active cases to 3630.
A man in his fifties was among five who died from coronavirus in the past 24 hours.
Three people from aged care facilities and a man in his seventies also perished.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos countered the myth that young people were not susceptible to coronavirus.
About 25 per cent of infections in July were people in their twenties, compared to 6 per cent aged in their sixties.
Four children with Covid-19 were recovering in hospital. About 20 per cent of hospitalized cases were under 50 years old.
“It’s a highly contagious virus that can strike anyone in our community,” Ms Mikakos said.
There are 201 Victorian patients hospitalised with coronavirus, including 40 in intensive care.
With infected health care workers rising from 187 active cases to 239, the Government announced stricter visitor restrictions across hospitals on 23 July.
Premier Daniel Andrews also announced a $300 payment for workers without sick leave to isolate at home while awaiting test results.
If diagnosed with Covid-19, they would be eligible for $1500 payments while they self-isolate.
Mr Andrews said many casual workers were otherwise facing the “wicked choice” of going to work while infectious to provide for their family.
“We know these patterns of behaviour are driving many of the (new Covid-19) cases.”
On 22 July, the Government released data showing 53 per cent of people awaiting Covid-19 results were failing to isolate at home.
It was a major factor in Covid-19 cases continuing to rise in their hundreds per day, Mr Andrews said.
He urged people to wear masks out of home, get tested for coronavirus as soon as they notice their first symptoms, and self-isolate until their test results were known.
