Dozens of Covid-19 infections uncovered among Victorian students

Victoria has narrowly avoided a likely spike in Covid-19 cases after testing of one crucial cohort uncovered dozens of infections.

Melbourne’s daily coronavirus figures have been released. Picture : NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

Dozens of infectious VCE students have narrowly avoided passing Covid-19 onto their fellow senior students, after a testing blitz picked up the virus in would-be GAT sitters.

Deputy Premier James Merlino confirmed 33 students would not be able to sit their General Achievement Test on Tuesday, a vital test which quizzes students on their knowledge across a range of subjects.

More than 8000 VCE students have received a Covid-19 test ahead of the GAT.

“We may not have found these cases otherwise, so that goes a long way to help us hold the GAT as safely as possible tomorrow,” Mr Merlino said.

“We will make arrangements for how they can sit their exams at a later stage, if indeed they are unable to sit any of their exams.”

More than 8000 VCE students have received a Covid test ahead of the GAT on Tuesday. Picture- Nicole Cleary

Victoria recorded 1377 new coronavirus cases on Monday as Melbourne became the most locked-down city in the world.

Officials reported four deaths as the state continued to battle its outbreak, that has closed down the majority of the state on and off since May.

There are 498 people in Victoria in hospital with the virus, including 96 in intensive care units and 59 on a ventilator.

While the majority of cases have been centred around Melbourne’s north and west, more cases have been emerging in the southeast in recent days.

Chief health officer Brett Sutton said vaccination numbers were making a difference.

“We have seen some stabilisation of numbers in Hume and Wyndham and that really is a reflection of the huge increase in vaccination uptake in those areas,” he said.

“Vaccination is really going to be our pathway out of here.”

Hundreds of people are ill with Covid in Victorian hospitals. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Ian Currie

Students will slowly return to face-to-face learning over October, after spending months studying from home.

Tens of thousands of VCE students and teachers have rushed to get vaccinated ahead of the vital exam period.

Students unable to sit the GAT or other exams due to illness will receive a derived examination score.

Mr Merlino said the state was working on making classrooms safer, including rolling out an unprecedented 51,000 ventilators.

The Department of Health is also working on plans for future school outbreaks.

“All of these things, all of these mitigating factors make it as safe as we possibly can,” Mr Merlino said.

“Nothing we do in this space is risk free.”

Melbourne became the world’s most locked down city on Monday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

Melbourne reported a grim milestone on Monday, overtaking Buenos Aires as the most locked down city in the world.

The city has now spent 246 days locked down, costing the Victorian economy an estimated $700m a week.

There is now concern new infections have spread from Melbourne’s north and west, with Premier Daniel Andrews not ruling out a longer if cases continued to rise.

But he insisted the lockdown had been necessary to protect the state’s hospitals from becoming overwhelmed.

“It has been bloody tough, we know that, but the Victorian community have been so, so impressive along the way,” he said.

“I’m not here to apologise for doing this cautiously and following the science.”

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Originally published as Dozens of Covid-19 infections uncovered among Victorian students