Premier Daniel Andrews announced earlier that there had been a net increase of 49 cases in Victoria overnight with eight of those having been reclassified from other states.
Returned travellers will have to undergo coronavirus testing or face an extra 10 days in hotel quarantine, the Premier clarified. In quarantine, individuals will as of today have the option of a saliva test rather than a nasal test. This options follows many parents refusing to have their children tested due to the nasal swab being “painful” or “uncomfortable”.
Four new cases are connected to known outbreaks (Brimbank, Keilor Downs, and North Melbourne family outbreaks while one is linked to the Stamford Plaza outbreak), 26 have come through routine testing and another 19 cases are under investigation.
Mr Andrews said many parents had refused testing of their children because the nasal swab test was uncomfortable.
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Since Saturday, a suburban test blitz saw 40,000 tests conducted while more will be provided over the next two days.
Mr Andrews said the Government was not imposing restrictions on movement in specific suburbs yet but warned it could happen.
“We’re not going to change settings in the hotspot suburbs until we’ve completed and concluded the blitz,” he said.
“Test and trace is the most effective thing we can do. If we have to implement a stay-at-home order, if that is deemed the appropriate public health response, that is what we will do. I’m not announcing that today.”
“When you test in this targeted way you are going to pick [it] up more,” Mr Andrews said stressing that the more tests are administered the more the virus will be picked up as it is “wildly infectious”.
On that note, Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said the state’s focus was to find “every single case” even if it means doing door-to-door tests at community transition hotspots.
“People are door knocking offering tests, mobile testing will also be set up at workplaces,” Ms Mikakos explained.
Testing is being carried out in marquees and vans set up in streets in Melbourne’s hotspot suburbs while new drive-through testing sites have been set up around the state.
New test spots in VIC:
- Great Ocean Road Health in Apollo Bay
- Lorne Community Hospital
- Keilor Community Hub
- Bunnings West Footscray
- Craigieburn Centre
- Melbourne Showgrounds in Ascot Vale
- Casey Fields in Cranbourne East
- Broadmeadows Shopping Centre
- IYU Reserve in Pakenham
- CB Smith Reserve in Fawkner
- Braybrook Community Centre
Test spots set to open:
- A site at Monash University Peninsula campus in Frankston will open seven days a week from Monday.
- A site in Malvern Valley will open from Tuesday to replace the drive-through testing site in Chadstone Shopping Centre.
- Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre in South Melbourne will also begin testing on Tuesday.
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