More than 10,000 people in Melbourne's coronavirus hotspots have declined to be tested during Victoria's testing blitz, with Health Minister Jenny Mikakos saying some of those residents believe the virus is a conspiracy.
Key points:
- Ms Mikakos said some people who declined had already been tested, but others believed the virus would not affect them
- She said genomic testing suggested a "super spreader" could be responsible for an increase in cases
- With 66 people diagnosed overnight, Victoria now has 442 active cases
As cases have continued to climb across Melbourne, doorknockers have targeted suburbs where community transmission is a concern, encouraging people to be tested.
Ms Mikakos said authorities had been "smashing targets for testing" with more than 164,000 people tested across Victoria and doorknockers reaching nearly 95,000 homes.
But she said that more than 10,000 people had refused to be tested for a range of reasons, including that they may have already been swabbed.
She said officials were analysing the data for more clarity on their reasons.
"It is concerning that the report that I have received is that some people believe coronavirus is a conspiracy or that it won't impact on them," she said.
Victoria recorded its 17th straight day of double-digit coronavirus case increases, with another 66 people diagnosed overnight.
Of the new infections, 17 were connected to contained outbreaks, one was detected in hotel quarantine, 20 were diagnosed through routine testing and 28 cases were under investigation.
Yesterday saw the fourth-highest daily increase since the pandemic began, and community transmission has been on an upward trend.
The state now has 442 active cases, including six people in intensive care.
Premier Daniel Andrews said although the number of new cases of COVID-19 was "unacceptably high", it was pleasing to see the numbers relatively stable instead of "a doubling and a doubling again".
Mr Andrews has announced an extra $2 million in mental health funding, with a focus on residents in hotspot suburbs.
Health authorities investigate 'super spreader' theory
The Government has been facing increased scrutiny over its handling of the hotel quarantine system.
Contractors working in the state-run quarantine program at two Melbourne hotels which are hosting returned travellers have been linked to more than 50 coronavirus cases.
Authorities have said security workers breached well-known infection control processes, and unconfirmed reports have emerged of the guards sleeping with guests and letting travellers out of their rooms.
A $3 million judicial inquiry will examine how the virus was able to spread from the hotels into the community.
Under questioning from reporters, Ms Mikakos distanced her department, the Department of Health and Human Services, from the scandal, saying they did not oversee the security contracts.
Ms Mikakos said she had been "riddled with anxiety" as infections surged and had sought explanations.
"On Tuesday, I received a briefing of a genomic sequencing report that seemed to suggest that there seems to be a single source of infection for many of the cases that have gone across the northern and western suburbs of Melbourne," she said.
Deputy Chief Health Officer Annaliese van Diemen said the concept of a "super spreader" was at this stage just a theory being investigated by health authorities.
"There's a number of things that can cause an outbreak that looks like this and that can be multiple introductions or a single introduction that causes multiple outbreaks," she said.
Authorities not ruling out further lockdowns of other suburbs
Today is the second day of stage three restrictions being imposed on more than 300,000 residents of 10 postcodes across Melbourne.
Ms Mikakos said the postcodes with the highest number of new cases were 3064, 3031, 3047 and 3060.
This covers the suburbs of Craigieburn, Donnybrook, Mickleham, Roxburgh Park, Kalkallo, Kensington, Flemington, Broadmeadows, Dallas, Jacana and Fawkner.
The suburbs within the 3031 postcode, Kensington and Flemington, are not currently under the reimposed restrictions.
Dr van Diemen said a daily increase was not enough to cause new restrictions to be imposed, but instead health authorities looked at trends over time.
Authorities use three criteria to identify suburbs which need tightened restrictions, and Mr Andrews said "we'll have further announcements if we need to".
The postcodes with the most active cases include postcode 3047 — taking in Broadmeadows, Dallas and Jacana — with 25 active cases and postcode 3064 — taking in Craigieburn, Donnybrook, Mickleham, Roxburgh Park and Kalkallo — with 52 active cases.
Ms Mikakos said in some of these postcodes there may be about 100 individuals who were currently isolating as close contacts of confirmed cases.
"So the risk factor is there, not just because we have active cases but because we have got close contacts who might potentially then test positive themselves," she said.
All staff and students from the Al-Taqwa College school in Truganina have been placed into quarantine after a cluster there grew to 23 cases.
The outbreak linked to security contractors working at the Stamford Plaza hotel has grown to 35 after three further close contacts tested positive at the end of their quarantine period.
Single cases were linked to outbreaks at Albanvale Primary School, the Orygen Youth Mental Health facility in Footscray and the Villa Bambini early learning centre in Essendon.
Advice to all Victorians remains to get tested and stay home if they feel unwell, practice good hygiene and to keep 1.5 metres away from others.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiVWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA3LTAzL3ZpY3RvcmlhLWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWNhc2VzLXJpc2UtYnktNjYvMTI0MTk1MzjSASdodHRwczovL2FtcC5hYmMubmV0LmF1L2FydGljbGUvMTI0MTk1Mzg?oc=5
2020-07-03 03:09:06Z
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