Victoria’s Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed that the state’s five-day snap lockdown would be extended beyond 11.59pm Tuesday.
The lockdown would continue for at least another week as exposure sites continue to grow.
The state recorded 13 local cases on Monday, including four announced yesterday, head of a decision about the length of the lockdown extension. Of the new cases, 12 were linked to current outbreaks and one is under investigation. There were 49,454 test results and 17,083 vaccine doses administered in the state.
Contact tracers were trying to keep track of the outbreak as far as the Delta variant is concerned following the identification of more than 15,000 close contacts from 16 local infections announced on Monday.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said there was “no absolute guarantee” that Victoria could defeat the Delta variant.
Mr Andrews launched an attack against NSW with suggestions that the state had seeded Victoria’s latest outbreak, putting the nation at risk.
“As soon as they (NSW) get it under control, it takes a lot of pressure off us and Adelaide and Brisbane and the whole country,” Mr Andrews said, adding that the outbreak “has to be pulled up in Sydney”.
Meanwhile, South Australia also announced new restrictions on Monday after recording two local cases – a man who returned home after quarantining in a Sydney hotel and his daughter.
