Coronavirus Victorian map: How fast infections have spread through Melbourne and Victoria
The speed in which coronavirus has advanced across Melbourne shows just how fast it can overwhelm us. Watch as a sophisticated interactive map shows how infections have rapidly spread through our suburbs.
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The resurgence of the coronavirus over the past month shows just how fast infections can spread if left unchecked.
Wind back to June 11, and Victoria seemingly had the virus under wraps. The state had recorded 222 new infections in just over a month — which right now would be considered a good day.
On that day several of today’s hotspots, including Hume, Wyndham, Moreland and Moonee Valley, did not record a single case. The government’s suppression strategy was working.
But, in mid-late June, the virus — with strains genomically linked to Victoria’s quarantine hotel security debacle — started to spread through Melbourne’s north and west.
Numbers slowly increased, with the rate of spread multiplied to the extent that Hume alone recorded 100 new cases in the five days up to July 3.
Driven by families and gatherings, a flurry of infections emerged in Casey, which became a lone virus hotspot in the southeast.
The suburbs in between remained relatively untouched. But not for long.
More than 100 new cases were reported across Victoria on July 4.
But this time — unlike the first wave, which peaked at 96 cases on March 31 — dozens of cases were considered community transmissions.
Around the turn into July, the virus seeped into the east and south. Cases emerged in areas which hadn’t had an infection in weeks.
Soon, every Melbourne area was untouched by the virus.
Up until this point, most of regional Victoria had little to no cases.
But in July, as the metro-Mitchell lockdown comes into force, cases started to slowly appear in Geelong, Bendigo and — most recently — Ballarat and Colac Otway, which was hit by an abattoir cluster.
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the “sharp increases in cases” from the second wave had forced the return of harsher restrictions.
“These are tough measures, but this virus is not selective — it will impact anyone it encounters,” he said.
“Personal contact is the clear source of its transmission. We need everyone to do their part and ensure it is stopped in its tracks.”
Above graphics with thanks to Daniel Klein and Juliette O’Brien. To see more of their work on our corona cases go to: covid19data.com.au
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