Victoria's surprising Covid result after jump in cases
Victoria has produced a surprising coronavirus result after recording the highest number of cases on Friday since residents emerged from the snap five-day lockdown.
The state's department of health announced Saturday morning that no cases had been recorded in the 24 hours to midnight from 17,701 tests.
"Thank you to those who got tested," the health officials shared to Twitter.
The positive news followed a warning from Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton to expect more cases in coming days after three connected to Holiday Inn cluster were announced on Friday.
A total of 22 cases have now been linked to the hotel.
Authorities believe the outbreak began when an individual staying at the hotel used a nebuliser medical device that caused the virus to spread through the air.
Fears it would spread into the community led to the five-day "circuit-breaker" lockdown, which ended on Thursday.
Vaccine rollout just days away
It comes as three Victorian hospitals were selected to distribute the state's first doses of the Pfizer vaccine to frontline workers, beginning Monday.
Health Minister Martin Foley has announced Austin Health, Monash Health and Western Health will be the first to deliver doses of the vaccine.
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He said hotel quarantine workers, airport and port workers, high-risk frontline health staff and aged care staff and residents will be first in line for the jab.
"Our priority is to support the Commonwealth to make sure that the vaccine is administered to workers at the highest risk of contracting COVID-19 as quickly and safely possible," Mr Foley said on Friday.
"Whether they work in hotel quarantine, at the airport or a specialist Covid ward - we need to keep Victorians most at risk of infection safe, while they continue to keep Victorians safe."
The vaccine will be administered at dedicated hospital facilities, in hotel quarantine settings, at Melbourne Airport and through mobile outreach teams.
The federal government has allocated 12,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to Victoria in the first week of the program.
About 59,000 doses are expected in the first four weeks.
With AAP
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