Authorities are investigating an outbreak of coronavirus at a Melbourne psychiatric facility, which has left three people in hospital, including one in intensive care.
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Health Minister Jenny Mikakos confirmed six people tested positive to COVID-19 overnight, three of whom were patients connected to the facility.
A total of 14 cases are connected to Albert Road Clinic, a private 80-bed psychiatric facility run by Ramsay Health Care.
Its first confirmed case was on March 24 and five discharged patients, five staff and four known contacts have contracted the virus from the facility.
Three of them are in hospital, with one in intensive care, Ms Mikakos said.
"Any person who attended Albert Road Clinic on or after Tuesday 24 March is considered at risk of developing COVID-19. This includes clinical and non-clinical staff members, patients and visitors," a spokesman for the clinic said in a statement.
Patients who attended the clinic on or after March 24 have been placed into a 14-day quarantine, while staff and doctors will be tested and have been advised not to work in any other clinical setting.
No new patients or visitors are allowed at the clinic, which is undergoing deep cleaning.
Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the clinic was "effectively shut down".
"No new in-patients, no transfers out, no out-patient activity, no group therapy," he told reporters on Friday.
"We're doing very substantial things but we understand the explosive potential in enclosed facilities, as we have seen in hospitals and aged care facilities and other settings like that."
Victoria's number of confirmed coronavirus cases now totals 1343 but about 1250 people have recovered.
Twenty-seven people are in hospital with the virus, including 11 in intensive care.
"This reinforces the point that this is not all over," Ms Mikakos said.
"It's important that the community continue to follow all the restrictions."
Under Victoria's stage three restrictions, people are only allowed to leave home for food and supplies, medical care, caregiving, exercise, work or education.
In the past 24 hours, Victoria Police conducted more than 600 spot checks and fined 54 people for breaking the rules.
Emergency laws to combat the disease and its effects on the state's economy cleared state parliament on Thursday evening during an emergency sitting.
The government can now borrow $24.5 billion to help the recovery from the pandemic over the next two years, as well as make temporary changes to help deliver services.
Among the changes is the introduction of judge-alone criminal trials, virtual meetings for state and council politicians, WorkCover extensions and a ban on evictions and rent increases, with a sunset clause of six months.
The government has also set up a dedicated task force to help keep the state's building and development industry running through the crisis.
It has approved four new projects worth more than $1.5 billion.
Australian Associated Press
