As it happened: Victoria records four new COVID-19 cases as state's residents enjoy first day with eased restrictions; Australian death toll climbs to 905

NSW Health is calling on people in south-east Sydney with any COVID-19 symptoms to get tested as soon as possible.

A positive case in the area was first identified late last week, but no specific venues of concern have been identified, the department said.

“It is believed this case visited the Kingsford and Ramsgate areas while potentially infectious in the first two weeks of October, including several cafes for short periods of time while ordering take away,” a NSW Health statement read.

“Anyone who has visited these suburbs, especially cafes, should monitor for symptoms and immediately isolate and get tested should even the mildest of symptoms appear.

“After testing, you must remain in isolation until a negative result is received.”

A quick round up of how the pandemic is unfolding around the world this evening:

• RUSSIA
  Russia's daily tally of coronavirus cases surged to a new record high of 15,982 on Monday, including 5,376 in the capital Moscow, pushing the national case total to 1,415,316 since the pandemic began.

  Authorities reported 179 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 24,366.

• SLOVENIA
  Slovenia has formally declared an epidemic of the coronavirus amid a major surge in infections.

  So far, Slovenia has tightened face mask rules, curbed the work of bars and restaurants and switched most schoolchildren and university students from classroom to online teaching.

  The country of 2 million people was the first in Europe in May to declare the end of the epidemic after the spring wave. The Alpine nation in the past week has reported hundreds of new cases daily and increased hospitalisation. The country has reported 188 deaths since the start of the outbreak.

• UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
  The city-state of Dubai is allowing weddings and major social events to resume at halls, hotels and homes after a months-long ban, even as the country’s coronavirus infections reach new heights.

  Dubai authorities say that starting this week, wedding halls will reopen for receptions with a maximum of 200 guests and strict conditions, including social distancing, masks and a four-hour time limit on festivities. Residents can now throw celebrations in their homes and outdoor tents for the first time since early March, with a maximum capacity of 30 people.

  The city is loosening restrictions even as infections in the United Arab Emirates continue to climb, with over 1,000 new cases recorded daily amid an aggressive testing campaign. The federation of seven sheikhdoms has reported more than 115,600 cases and 460 deaths.

• INDIA
  India has reported 579 fatalities from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the lowest increase in three months, driving its death toll to 114,610.

  The Health Ministry on Monday also reported 55,722 new cases of coronavirus infection, raising India’s total to more than 7.5 million, second in the world behind the U.S.

  A government-appointed committee of scientists said Sunday the epidemic may have peaked in India and the disease was likely to “run its course” by February 2021 if people used masks and adhered to physical distancing measures.

  The number of new infections confirmed each day has declined for a month. The committee said even if active cases increased during the upcoming festive season and cold weather, they were unlikely to surpass India’s record daily high of 97,894 cases.

• SOUTH KOREA
  South Korea on Monday began testing tens of thousands of employees of hospitals and nursing homes to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks at live-in facilities.

  Fifteen of the 76 latest cases reported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency were from Busan, where more than 70 infections have been linked to a hospital for the elderly.

There is likely more than 50 people in Melbourne with coronavirus that authorities do not know about, according to one epidemiologist who is backing the Victorian government's cautious approach to re-opening.

Professor Tony Blakely, a Professorial Fellow in Epidemiology at Melbourne University, said the delay in re-opening was a smart move considering there were still 15 'mystery cases' with no known source in the community - meaning dozens more are likely going to be infectious for at least two weeks.

"If you think about that 15, and you think about where we came from with the over 10 cases per day seven days... there's probably 50 plus people out there somewhere in metro Melbourne carrying the virus without knowing it," he told ABC Radio Melbourne host Raf Epstein this afternoon.

"So if we open up now it might not necessary explode on us, but it will certainly blow up on us. And just waiting that extra week does maximise the chance of getting the case numbers down real low."

Professor Blakely said overall Melbourne was in a good position, and could possibly even achieve elimination due to the slower pace of re-opening.

"And hell, I'll mention the Voldemort word here, you know, might even achieve elimination for a little wee while, low probability but it's a chance," he said.

This is pretty nifty - Mark Stehle, our design director for multimedia, has created a searchable map for Melburnians to find an overlapping public space between their own 25 kilometre bubbles and a friend's.

It asks you to enter a pair of streets and suburbs to generate a guide on the map showing where people from two different places can meet up.

Please note: the red area is a no-go area if you live in Melbourne.