Coronavirus Melbourne: Andrews urges housing block tenants to say yes to COVID tests

Increasingly frustrated by Melburnians refusing COVID tests, the Premier has sternly told tenants of the locked down blocks to “consent to the test”.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has warned the residents of the public housing blocks in hard lockdown that the only response to a request they be tested for coronavirus is “yes”.

The government has been caught off guard in recent days by up to 10,000 Melburnians refusing to be tested in hotspot suburbs. Some are reported to have said no because they believe coronavirus is a conspiracy.

Mr Andrews said that wouldn’t be happening in the North Melbourne and Flemington flats. He’s told people to have a test and to call out their non testing neighbours.

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The government has said it needs the nine blocks sealed off for five days to test all 3000 residents and get their results back.

The Premier hinted that if people refused to test, the tough lockdown could last longer.

As many as 10,000 Melbourne residents have refused to be tested in hotspot suburbs. Picture: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images.

“I expect that everybody will consent to a test because the sooner we have the testing process concluded, the sooner we will be able to make decisions based on the data about the restrictions that are appropriate for those nine towers,” he said at a press conference today.

“If someone knocks on your door to do a test the only answer you should give is yes.

“And if you see someone in your family group, in your friendship group, in your street, who is not taking this seriously, then call them out.”

Mr Andrews said he expected only a “small number” of people to refuse a swab test.

“My message to those residents is consent to the test, agree to the test and find out exactly how much of this virus is in these towers.”

Last week, Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos was forced to insist coronavirus was not a “conspiracy” as she said more than 10,000 Victorians had refused virus tests since the surge.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has told residents to ‘consent to the test’. Picture: David Crosling

Ms Mikakos said there would be an analysis to determine why people were refusing testing across a slew of postcodes and suburbs that have been deemed COVID-19 hotspots.

“That might be for a range of reasons, including that they may have already been tested in a different location.

“We are analysing that data to see exactly why people are refusing, but it is concerning that some people believe that coronavirus is a conspiracy or that it won‘t impact on them,“ she said on Friday.

“What I want to stress here is that coronavirus is a very contagious virus.

“It can go through your family very quickly, it can affect your neighbours, your loved ones, and your entire community.

On Sunday, 74 new cases were diagnosed in Melbourne which is a fall on the 108 cases yesterday. However, Mr Andrews said he expected that number to rise as a testing blitz takes place.

Cash payments and rent relief have been offered to public housing tenants to help them through the enforced lockdown.

Today, Mr Andrews said “people could die” if the nine blocks were not shut down.

“This is not going to be a pleasant experience for those residents but this is not about punishment but protection,” he said this morning.

“We cannot have a cohort of people, many of whom are in poor health to start with. We cannot have this virus spread. We have to do everything we can to contain the virus and that is why staying in your unit, staying in your flat, is absently essential.

“If we have a large group of people who already have pre-existing and underlying health challenges infected with this virus then people will die.”