Coronavirus pandemic: Victorian hospitals introduce visitor restrictions

Tougher restrictions on visitors at Victorian hospitals will be put in place from midnight tonight under a new COVID-19 safety measure.

Health Minister Jenny Mikakos announced today the number of visitors at the state's public and private hospitals would be limited in a bid to protect patients and healthcare workers.

"The limit will be, a patient will not be able to receive a visitor for more than two hours at a time and not be able to have more than two visitors per day," she said.

"There are some exemptions particular for partners who are having their babies also for patients who are experiencing palliative care, so they will be some exemptions for that but we need to keep very strictly to these restrictions."

It comes as 61 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Victoria today, bringing the state's total to 355.

People in large groups going to visit the same patient would also be turned away under the new directive.

"This is all being done with the public health interest of patients of their loved ones that they are going to visit," she said.

"That is why we need to stagger visits to make sure we have not got people crowded around very sick people in hospitals, presenting great public health risk to those patients."

The median age of all Victorians who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 is 49.

Minister Mikakos said conducting temperature checks on visitors as they enter hospitals could also be a measure put in place in future.

"We are treating this as if we are in war time conditions," Ms Mikakos said.

"We do anticipate we will have a significant increase in presentations for COVID-19.

"This is a public health emergency we have not seen in our lifetime."

One million masks will arrive in the state today, with another million set to arrive next week.

There are about 1000 ventilators in the state, with another 2000 on order.

People have also been reminded to steer clear from hospitals if they are unwell, subject to any quarantine arrangements or have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19.

"It is literally a life or death question," Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said.