Melbourne lockdown: 10,000 people are contacts to Covid-19 cases

More than 10,000 Victorians have been ordered into isolation, with officials warning that number will grow unless ‘something drastic happens’.

Victorian health authorities have identified more than 10,000 people connected to positive coronavirus cases, sparking fears a cluster of 26 infections could explode.

The state will be plunged into a seven-day lockdown from 11.59pm on Thursday as health officials aim to stop the spread.

But Acting Premier James Merlino revealed a sobering number in his address to the media on Thursday morning - that more than 10,000 primary and secondary contacts would “need to either quarantine or test and isolate”.

“That number will continue to grow and change,” he said.

“Our public health experts’ primary concern is how fast this variant is moving.

“We’ve seen overseas how difficult that movement can be to control. Here in Victoria, we’re seeing not only how quick it is, but how contagious it is as well.

“Our contact tracers are identifying and locking down the first ring, second ring, and third ring within 24 hours. They have never done that before. That’s the fastest our contact tracers have ever moved within a 24-hour period.”

Acting Premier James Merlino says more than 10,000 people are connected to positive coronavirus cases. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

Mr Merlino said the time between catching the virus and passing it on was “tighter than ever”.

“How long it takes between the onset of symptoms in the first and secondary case is averaging just over a day,” he said.

“To put that in some perspective, the usual transmission is about five to six days – In some of these cases, within a day it’s been transmitted.”

The number of cases grew considerably in the past 24 hours after Victoria posted 11 new infections on Thursday.

Melburnians rush to get tested as a cluster grows to 26 cases. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

Mr Merlino warned unless something “drastic happens”, the situation would become “increasingly uncontrollable”.

“The vaccine rollout has been slower than we have hoped,” he said.

“It’s not where we hoped it would be, it’s not where it should be. If more people were vaccinated we might be facing a very different set of circumstances than we are today. But sadly we are not.”

From 11.59pm on Thursday Victorians can only leave home for five reasons:

• Shopping for necessary goods and services
• Authorised work or permitted education
• Exercise – a 2-hour limit with one other person
• Care giving, compassionate, and medical reasons
• To get vaccinated

A whole raft of other safety measures were also announced, including which industries would remain open and which were forced to close.

Originally published as Melbourne lockdown: 10,000 people are contacts to Covid-19 cases