Map shows locations of primary close contacts as Victorian lockdown extended

The extent of Victoria’s latest Covid-19 outbreak has been revealed in a new map that shows where the close contacts are across the state.

The extent of Victoria’s latest Covid-19 has been revealed in maps released by the Department of Health.

As Premier Daniel Andrews extended the state’s fifth coronavirus lockdown for another seven days, the two graphics show the latest outbreak is much more than just a Melbourne cluster.

The state recorded another nine locally acquired virus cases on Tuesday, taking the two outbreaks that jumped the border from NSW to 85 cases.

Alarmingly, the health department said the source of one new infection remained under investigation.

The department said 11 of the cases were located in regional Victoria.

A map showing the spread of Covid-19 primary close contacts across Victoria on July 19. Picture: Department of Health

The first map, in blue, shows the spread of primary close contacts linked to the outbreak across the state.

At least 5177 of more than 18,000 primary close contacts are located outside Melbourne in regional Victoria.

Several exposure sites have been listed in Mildura, in the state’s far northwest, after a man from the regional city contracted the virus at an AFL match at the MCG.

As of Tuesday, there were two positive cases in Mildura and 12 exposure sites.

A map showing the spread of red zone permits granted across Victoria on July 19. Picture: Department of Health

There are also exposure sites dotted across Melbourne and regional Victoria, including some in the Geelong area and 32 at Phillip Island.

The second map, in red, shows the spread of Victorians granted a red zone permit to return from hotspots in other states, mainly NSW.

More than 3000 of the red zone permits granted reside in regional Victoria.

Chief health officer Brett Sutton said it was too early to lift restrictions on Tuesday.

“We have seen significant and stand-alone outbreaks in regional areas, in Phillip Island, in Bacchus Marsh, Barwon Heads and as far away as Mildura,” he said.

“Around a third of all of our primary close contacts are right across regional Victoria.

Victoria chief health officer Brett Sutton said the impact of the latest outbreak was being felt across the state. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Luis Ascui

“This outbreak has touched the whole state in a way that the Delta outbreaks didn’t do back in May and June.

“Much of that is due to the superspreading events early on in this outbreak that took place in the MCG members reserve for the Geelong-Carlton game – those impacts are rippling across the state.”

Mr Andrews said on Tuesday the state’s lockdown would be extended for another seven days to July 27.

“There are chains of transmission that are not yet contained,” he said.

People line up for coronavirus tests in Russell St, Melbourne as Victoria continues its lockdown. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

“So far, the strategy is unfolding exactly the way that we would like it to unfold, but we have had a couple of superspreader events, whether they are technically termed that, but we’ve had a couple of transmission events where large numbers of people have finished up positive as a result of being in the proximity, being close to others for a very short period of time.”

The Premier also changed the rules to ban red-zone travel for the next two weeks for everyone other than authorised workers and those with compassionate reasons.

“I can’t cope having hundreds and hundreds of Victorians coming back to Victoria while the situation further deteriorates and we see more and more cases in Sydney,” he said.

“We get this outbreak under control and then we finish up with another incursion brewing. I don’t want that to happen.”

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Originally published as Map shows locations of primary close contacts as Victorian lockdown extended