Coronavirus cases in Victoria climb by 22, including 19 more cases at meatworks - ABC News

Victoria has confirmed a further 22 cases of coronavirus, including 19 linked to a Melbourne meat processing plant.

Key points:

• Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has defended the decision not to name the meatworks
• He said the outbreak was "not a risk to the general community and it's not going to get out of control"
• Victoria tested a record 13,000 people for coronavirus yesterday, meaning the state is on track to meet its goal of 100,000 tests by the end of this week

It brings the state's total of coronavirus cases to 1,406.

Aside from the cases linked to the abattoir, two of the new cases were returned overseas travellers who were quarantined in hotels.

One other case is still under investigation.

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton defended his decision not to name the meatworks, saying this was "not part of what's required for us to do our work".

"If community members need to be told ... we'll do so," he said.

The Government has previously named health facilities and schools where outbreaks have occurred.

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Professor Sutton said that was because schools were places "where a lot of community members might go, where we can't identify those individuals for the purpose of contract tracing".

"They are named for that reason," he said.

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Professor Sutton said the testing of staff at the meatworks had been "appropriate" and it had not been possible to shut the meatworks down when the first case was identified.

"As soon as that cluster was identified ... they moved to a shutdown at the earliest possible time but there were logistical constraints about having everyone cease work immediately,"
he said.

"There were animal welfare issues with the business, so you need minimum staff on site to make sure animal welfare is looked after."

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Professor Sutton said meatworks factories were "particularly vulnerable" to coronavirus outbreaks and there had been large outbreaks in similar facilities in the US.

He said staff were forced to work closer together than in some other workplaces.

But he said most of the 19 individuals who tested positive yesterday were asymptomatic.

"It's not a risk to the general community and it's not going to get out of control," he said.

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Record day of testing

Premier Daniel Andrews said a record 13,000 Victorians were tested for coronavirus yesterday.

"More than we've seen on a single day in any part of the country throughout this whole pandemic," he said.

"I can't emphasise enough how pleased, how proud and how grateful I am."

The Government is aiming to test 100,000 Victorians to gather data to help them decide whether to lift some restrictions when the current State of Emergency ends on May 11.

Mr Andrews said 56,000 people had already been tested since the blitz began one week ago.

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"It's a massive effort," he said.

"Let's see what kind of virus story that tells."

The results of yesterday's tests would not be known for a couple of days, he said.

Mr Andrews thanked those Victorians who had given up their time to get tested, and reiterated that mobile testing units would come to people who could not travel to a testing site.

He said the more data the Government could collect now, the more "options" it would have when it came to relaxing restrictions.

"If you have not been tested and you have even the mildest of symptoms, please get tested," he said.

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Fight over schools 'ancient history'

Mr Andrews said he had not spoken to anyone from the Federal Government over the weekend after Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan criticised Mr Andrews for not reopening schools.

"I'm not so much focused on those matters. That's ancient history as far as I'm concerned," he said.

"Fighting amongst ourselves is not what's needed — fighting this virus is what's needed."

Mr Andrews said he was due to speak with the Prime Minister at tomorrow's National Cabinet meeting.

"Comments were made yesterday morning, a statement was issued after that. That's the end of the matter as far as I'm concerned," Mr Andrews said.

More to come.

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA1LTA0L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXZpY3Rvcmlhbi1nb3Zlcm5tZW50LXVwZGF0ZS1zY2hvb2wtY2xvc3VyZS1hYmF0dG9pci8xMjIwOTc3NtIBJ2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvYXJ0aWNsZS8xMjIwOTc3Ng?oc=5

2020-05-04 00:03:31Z
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