Victoria will have the widest coronavirus testing in the country from today with anyone with symptoms being tested, Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos has announced.

Key points: Coronavirus testing is now available for "anybody who has relevant symptoms, a fever, or acute respiratory symptoms"

Coronavirus testing is now available for "anybody who has relevant symptoms, a fever, or acute respiratory symptoms" Tests are available at 40 screening clinics across the state and participating GPs but people who want to be tested must call ahead

Tests are available at 40 screening clinics across the state and participating GPs but people who want to be tested must call ahead For more information call the Government's coronavirus hotline 1800 675 398

"The focus has been on return travellers, now we want to make sure we track down every case of the virus," Ms Mikakos said during a press conference this morning.

Ms Mikakos said the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state had increased by 10 overnight to a total of 1,291, with the death toll remaining at 14.

Forty cases were in hospital with 15 in intensive care while 1,118 people had recovered and about 71,000 people had been tested.

Ms Mikakos also announced that the recruitment of 120 paramedics would be brought forward and a service transporting regional patients to Melbourne would be expanded to run 24 hours a day.

Victoria COVID-19 snapshot Confirmed cases so far: 19,728

Confirmed cases so far: 19,728 Confirmed active cases: 1,483

Confirmed active cases: 1,483 Deaths: 701

Deaths: 701 Suspected cases of community transmission where the source is unknown: 4,306

Suspected cases of community transmission where the source is unknown: 4,306 Cases in hospital: 169

Cases in hospital: 169 Intensive care patients: 17

Intensive care patients: 17 Active cases in regional Victoria: 72

Active cases in regional Victoria: 72 Active cases in healthcare workers: 251

Active cases in healthcare workers: 251 Active cases linked to aged care outbreaks: 763

Active cases linked to aged care outbreaks: 763 Tests since pandemic began: More than 2.44 million Updated Thursday September 10 Latest Victorian Government info

Senior police officer to review every fine issued

It comes as police announced they would review every single fine issued for breaches of the Chief Health Officer's physical-distancing directives to ensure that "common sense" had been applied.

Nine newspapers this morning reported that Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton told officers that a lack of discretion when issuing fines was eroding public confidence in the police force.

At a press conference this afternoon, Deputy Commissioner Patton said from today, he would personally review every single fine issued in respect to the Chief Health Officer's directives.

"On a daily basis, every infringement that has been issued will be reviewed by the superintendent who's in charge of our Operation Sentinel and I will be personally provided with a report," he said.

"And I will review every one of those personally to ensure that a, they've been appropriately issued and b, that there's common sense being applied and it does pass that test.

"If some of those aren't properly issued or they don't pass that common sense test, they will be withdrawn."

Anyone with fever or acute respiratory symptoms to be tested

Ms Mikakos said the Government was extending testing for coronavirus to cover "anybody who has relevant symptoms, a fever, or acute respiratory symptoms".

"We are announcing that from today, Victoria will have the widest testing criteria in the nation," she said.

"Anybody who has relevant symptoms, a fever, or acute respiratory symptoms will be able to be tested for COVID-19."

She said by opening up the testing criteria, the Government would be able to gauge the spread of the virus in coming weeks.

Community transmissions needed to be brought under control before stage three restrictions were lifted, she said.

Ms Mikakos said Western Australia and Queensland had similar testing criteria but not at all testing clinics.

"WA has five screening services and that wide testing is only available in some areas. In Queensland … it's based on a geographical setting."

She said in Victoria, "regardless of where you go, anywhere in those 40 screening clinics if you meet these symptoms you will be able to be tested".

"We're not requiring those hurdles," she said.

"We're putting in place the most generous, widest testing criteria in the nation, if you have fever or acute respiratory symptoms; a cough, shortness of breath."

Ms Mikakos said people should not hesitate to call their GP to explain their symptoms and get tested.

Coronavirus testing has until now focused primarily on people coming from overseas and those they have been in contact with. ( Reuters: Vasily Fedosenko )

Victoria's Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton, said testing criteria had been broadened to detect more cases.

"I don't think numbers will be huge because I think people are doing the right thing," Professor Sutton said.

"But I hope if there are cases out there that haven't been detected until now, that these broad testing criteria allow those to be picked up.

"That's the rationale behind the broadened testing."

According to the Department of Health and Human Services website, patients who meet the following clinical criteria should be tested:

"Fever or chills in the absence of an alternative diagnosis that explains the clinical presentation or acute respiratory infection that is characterised by cough, sore throat or shortness of breath."

Nearly 100 more fines issued for breaching physical-distancing rules

Police have been told to target "blatant" breaches of physical-distancing directives. ( ABC News: Andrew Altree-Williams )

According to a statement from Victoria Police, officers conducted 507 spot checks at homes, businesses and non-essential services across the state and issued 99 more fines for breaching physical-distancing rules in the 24 hours to 11:00pm Monday.

Examples of breaches included:

Four people gathering together outside shops in Baxter after visiting friends.

Four people gathering together outside shops in Baxter after visiting friends. Multiple instances of private gatherings at residential properties.

Multiple instances of private gatherings at residential properties. Four people having a barbeque at a Brighton Beach bathing box.

Four people having a barbeque at a Brighton Beach bathing box. Ten people at a home in Montrose with multiple cars coming and going.

Ten people at a home in Montrose with multiple cars coming and going. Ten people gathered for a party in a backyard at Strathdale.

Since March 21, Victoria Police have conducted a total of 20,933 spot checks.

Deputy Commissioner Patton said officers were not scouring social media to identify breaches.

He said yesterday almost 2,000 potential breaches were reported by the public but only 99 infringements were issued.

"What we're trying to achieve is restricting, stopping the flow of this virus," he said.

"We don't have to use a sledgehammer to do this, we can do it through giving appropriate warnings to the public, appropriate guidance."

He said many people who received warnings were "naive" to the risk of gathering with a small group of friends.

"It's a real naivety about not taking into account the potential spread of the virus," he said.

"They think it can't happen to them.

"But also we had some reports on the weekend of up to 20 people partying together. That's just reckless, that not naive. That's totally reckless."

Union boss says police not being overzealous

On Monday, an alliance of community legal groups including Liberty Victoria said 20 reports of "concerning police interactions" in Victoria had been lodged with the new COVID-19 Policing in Australia website in the past week.

Victorian Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt told ABC Radio Melbourne today that police were not being overzealous when issuing fines for breaching physical-distancing rules.

He said police normally dealt with "crooks" and were now coming into contact with "everyday Victorians", which was difficult work and not what they wanted to be doing.

"It's a difficult position to be in," he said, and admitted some police were confused.

"Some of the new rules and regulations are somewhat ambiguous and entirely subjective in their assessment."

Victorian Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt admits some police have been confused by the "ambiguous and entirely subjective" coronavirus rules. ( AAP: Stefan Postles, file photo )

He said even the directive to only fine "blatant and deliberate breaches" could be subjective.

Why some people had been fined was difficult to understand unless they were in the situation themselves, he said.

"That's why discretion is so important," he said.

"Make no mistake, police officers across the weekend would have spoken to hundreds of thousands of Victorians [but] they haven't issued hundreds of thousands of fines."

When police get fines wrong, 'they will walk them back'

When asked about Deputy Commissioner Patton's reported internal memo to officers warning integrity in the force was being eroded, Mr Gatt said the deputy commissioner was not wrong to make the comments but he did not believe confidence had been eroded.

"I think the community … are seeing people doing a job they would rather not be doing right now," he said.

"I've spoken to hundreds of officers, all of whom have told me they would rather be in self-protection, in lockdown themselves.

"They're not. They're strapping on a uniform, they're going out there and they're being asked to do this work.

"It's not work they want to do, and it's not work they enjoy doing. But they're doing it to protect the broader community's interest."

At this morning's press conference, Professor Sutton said if police handed out fines in areas where they should not have, "they will walk them back".

"I think that's appropriate but the policy intent is pretty clear and it is if you can stay home you must stay home," Professor Sutton said.

"If you follow that one rule you're not going to go wrong."

Upgrades to Victoria's patient transport services

The recruitment of 120 paramedics which was due to take place next financial year was being brought forward, Ms Mikakos said.

"They will be recruited by Ambulance Victoria in May and June to enable 120 paramedics to be added to the workforce," she said.

"That is about us making sure every part of our health system is as prepared as it possibly could be."

Ambulance Victoria has reported a decline in triple zero calls. ( ABC News: Margaret Burin )

Some of the extra paramedics will be out on the road while others will join the state's secondary triage service providing advice to people with health emergencies.

An adult retrieval service that transports people from regional communities to metro Melbourne will also be expanded to be a 24-hour service for the next six months, she said.

'Exemplary behaviour' must continue for at least another month

During the this morning's press conference, Ms Mikakos commended the "exemplary behaviour" from the majority of people over the Easter long weekend.

"People limiting their exposure in the community has resulted in a downward trend in the last week," she said.

But she conceded it was still too early "to be making predictions about when the restriction will be lifted".

"From midnight last night the extension of the state of emergency continued for a further four weeks and all the directives issued by the Chief Health Officer have also been extended for a further four weeks," she said.

"The stay-at-home directive will continue until midnight May 11."

Ms Mikakos said that did not mean restrictions would be lifted after May 11 and urged Victorians to "continue doing the right thing" to keep everyone safe.

Professor Sutton said restrictions would only be lifted when he was confident "we can drive numbers down".

"We could reduce some physical-distance measures and see how numbers go," he said.

"We don't have to be in this place for 18 months or two years.

"We can look at lifting restrictions if we're confident our surveillance is really robust, and making sure we are finding community transmissions where it is occurring.

"That is an option for us, but we have to be confident we can drive numbers down before we consider that."