Melburnians have been getting used to seeing Australian Defence Force personnel in uniform patrolling the streets, after the state called in 1,400 reinforcements to get on top of the spike in new coronavirus cases.
But soon those soldiers will be landing on people's doorsteps.
Premier Daniel Andrews said: "That's not something to be afraid of, that's just everyone working together as one team to make sure that we've got the best public health response to this global pandemic."
Here's why it's happening.
People are not answering their phones to contact tracers
Mr Andrews said the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) was notified every time there was a positive COVID-19 case.
Their aim was to contact every positive case within 24 hours to start the contact tracing process.
But not everyone answers their phone when they see an unknown number.
Mr Andrews said officials had trouble contacting up to 25 per cent of positive cases by phone.
That means people they've been in contact with while infectious are not notified they are at risk, and are continue to move around the community, potentially spreading the virus.
When will the ADF doorknock positive COVID cases?
Not everyone who tests positive to coronavirus in Victoria will get a visit from the ADF.
DHHS staff will continue to contact people by phone in the first instance.
"They [positive cases] are telephoned, they are telephoned again within a two-hour period," Mr Andrews said.
"If contact cannot be made with them via those two telephone calls in a two-hour period then ADF and authorised officers will be deployed to go and doorknock those people and to conduct that interview on their doorstep."
Why are people not answering their phones?
Mr Andrews said the new system was not about penalising people who don't pick up the phone to contact tracers, or about laying blame.
"If you are positive then obviously you have got to be at home for those 14 days and you've got to be part of our process of contact tracing," he said.
"If, for whatever reason, you don't answer the phone then ADF personnel will be knocking on your door and they will bring the public health response to you."
He said there were many reasons people might be hard to get a hold of.
"It's just a practical challenge. In any list of people that you ring, there will always be some that you can't get through to," he said.
"This is about going that extra step."
Will people be fined if they're not at home?
"Almost certainly," Mr Andrews said.
"If you were doorknocked and you were not found at home, then you are in breach of the orders because you are a positive case and you should be at home," he said.
"So that would almost certainly lead to you being fined."
Mr Andrews said the main purpose of the visit was to get the ball rolling on contact tracing, not to issue fines, but if required Victoria Police would be informed and fines handed out.
"If ADF and authorised officers … visit you and you're not at home, they'll continue to keep visiting you but you'll have some very clear explaining to do as to why you were not at home isolated," he said.
Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier welcomed the announcement.
"We know contact tracing has been absolutely shambolic, it has been a debacle," she said.
"It hasn't been done properly … to ensure that those cases are followed up as they should be."
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA3LTI0L2FkZi1wZXJzb25uZWwtdG8tYm9vc3QtdmljdG9yaWFuLWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWNvbnRhY3QtdHJhY2luZy8xMjQ4OTc0NNIBJ2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvYXJ0aWNsZS8xMjQ4OTc0NA?oc=5
2020-07-24 05:46:00Z
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