Victoria has recorded 35 days straight without any new coronavirus infections, but authorities are asking people to get tested after traces of COVID-19 were detected in wastewater in regional areas.
The latest "double doughnut" day comes after 8784 people were tested for the virus on Thursday.
Victoria's extended run of zero-case days continues as the state prepares for the first international travellers to arrive in Melbourne on Monday since flights were suspended during the catastrophic second coronavirus wave.
The returned travellers will be the first to be accommodated in Victoria's revamped hotel quarantine program.
Meanwhile, health authorities revealed on Thursday that traces of COVID-19 had been detected in wastewater in the Daylesford, Hepburn and Hepburn Springs area, north-west of Melbourne.
The viral fragments were detected from a sample taken on Monday and further samples were to be taken on Thursday for testing, the Health Department said. Anyone with symptoms who was in the region on the weekend is being advised to get tested.
The discovery follows a similar warning for people who have visited the south-west Victorian town of Colac, after "strong" traces of COVID-19 were found in the town's sewage.
Victoria's testing commander Jeroen Weimar said the results were believed to be from "viral shedding".
He said the man believed to be the source of the viral fragments was known to the Health Department and was no longer considered infectious.
Nonetheless, health authorities are still urging truck drivers and other recent visitors to Colac who display even the mildest symptoms to get tested.
Testing is available at Colac Neighbourhood House until 12.30pm on Friday.
Health Minister Martin Foley revealed on Thursday that Victoria's Health Department has developed in-house contact tracing technology that it says will help draw links between coronavirus cases and save epidemiologists hours of work.
The "mystery case tracker" tool generates a digital diagram based on contact tracing data that connects cases, contacts and their movements, allowing the government's epidemiologists to quickly contrast and compare outbreaks.
Mr Foley said the new mystery case tracker tool would help Victoria stay one step ahead of coronavirus as outbreaks occur.
Premier Daniel Andrews will announce a further easing of restrictions on Sunday, which will outline the plan for the rest of the summer.
NSW recorded a new case of COVID-19 on Thursday after a hotel quarantine worker tested positive, ending the state's almost month-long streak of no locally acquired cases.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the woman from Minto in Sydney's south-west worked at two CBD hotels, one of which is a police quarantine hotel. She worked at the Novotel and the Ibis at Darling Harbour and caught public transport to and from work.
The woman's five family members were tested overnight and all returned a negative result for the virus.
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Simone is a crime reporter for The Age. Most recently she covered breaking news for The Age, and before that for The Australian in Melbourne.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMif2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWFnZS5jb20uYXUvbmF0aW9uYWwvdmljdG9yaWEvdmljdG9yaWEtcmVjb3Jkcy0zNXRoLWNvbnNlY3V0aXZlLWRheS13aXRob3V0LWEtbmV3LWNvdmlkLWNhc2UtMjAyMDEyMDQtcDU2a2s1Lmh0bWzSAX9odHRwczovL2FtcC50aGVhZ2UuY29tLmF1L25hdGlvbmFsL3ZpY3RvcmlhL3ZpY3RvcmlhLXJlY29yZHMtMzV0aC1jb25zZWN1dGl2ZS1kYXktd2l0aG91dC1hLW5ldy1jb3ZpZC1jYXNlLTIwMjAxMjA0LXA1NmtrNS5odG1s?oc=5
2020-12-03 21:19:00Z
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