Scott Morrison weighs in on Holiday Inn coronavirus outbreak

Scott Morrison has urged Victoria to take a “proportionate, targeted response” as fears of a new Melbourne lockdown grow.

Scott Morrison has empathised with Victorians over fears of another “traumatising” lockdown, as health authorities hold crisis talks over the state’s latest outbreak.

Victoria recorded a further five locally acquired cases in the 24 hours to Friday with a Melbourne airport cafe announced as a new exposure site.

Thirteen cases have so far been linked to the Melbourne Airport Holiday Inn outbreak.

Speaking on 3AW, the prime minister said the state government was assessing all of the options and would make an announcement later today.

Mr Morrison said last year’s lockdowns were “traumatising” for Victorians and people’s concerns were “very real”.

“The risk of facing those sorts of things again is very understandable,” he said.

Yesterday there were 5 new locally acquired cases reported. There are currently 19 active cases. 24,209 test results were received. Got symptoms? Get tested, #EveryTestHelps.

More later: https://t.co/lIUrl0ZEco#COVID19Vic#COVID19VicDatapic.twitter.com/Tb6O9AqA6F

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) February 11, 2021

Mr Morrison said he had not been briefed about a lockdown in Melbourne but federal Health Minister Greg Hunt had spoken with Victorian health authorities overnight.

“Proportionate, targeted responses I have always believed are the most effective way to deal with it,” he said

“We saw that work in Brisbane, we’ve worked in New South Wales.”

Mr Morrison also ruled out the federal government taking control of hotel quarantine in the wake of another leak in Melbourne.

“We’re not going to be running it,” he said.

“There are rings of how you contain outbreaks.

“This issue is how you deal with it when it occurs and the contact tracing that’s been put in place and the testing system and the response of Melburnians.”

He also dimissed a push to move quarantine to regional areas saying it would “create another set of risks” and would be further away from major hospitals.

Mr Morrison will visit Melbourne’s CSL factory on Friday where the soon to be approved AstraZeneca vaccine will be manufactured.

“The good news on that is that it is on track,” he said.

Originally published as Scott Morrison weighs in on Holiday Inn coronavirus outbreak