Coronavirus Melbourne: COVID-19 cases surge again Victoria

Victoria’s coronavirus outbreak has worsened dramatically, with 75 new cases recorded at schools, childcare centres and in hotel quarantine.

Victoria’s coronavirus outbreak has worsened dramatically, with 75 new cases recorded today, bringing the state’s total to 2099.

One case has been linked to hotel quarantine, 14 are through known outbreaks, 37 were acquired through routine testing and 23 remain under investigation, Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said this morning.

Ten cases have been linked to the Wollert family outbreak, four have been linked to a new family outbreak in Lysterfield and Pattersons Lakes, and five are a new family outbreak in Truganina.

Meanwhile, a childcare worker has tested positive at Guardian Early Learning Centre’s Abbotsford site, with deep cleaning now under way.

New schools with coronavirus cases are Queen of Peace Primary School in Altona, Port Phillip Specialist School, Maribyrnong College and Fitzroy High School.

Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton said people were continuing to go out with symptoms.

“It’s clearly concerning, today are very big numbers,” he told reporters.

“Changing the law is something we’ll have to consider because we have to do whatever it takes to change this situation around.”

Professor Sutton did not rule out suburban lockdowns.

“We have to think through what will make a difference in the current challenge,” he said.

“We’re seeing transmission occurring across households and seeing too many others across vulnerable settings.

“A lot of our settings in restaurants and other places that have taken up COVID-safe codes, the rise of transmission is well managed.

“We have to dig down to the epidemiology in the current situation and are going to have to focus on limiting the number of interactions people are having and if they have symptoms to stay home.”

Mr Sutton said younger people were making up a greater proportion of the total number of cases.

“They need to understand the message, they can’t dismiss it that they might have a milder illness. Everyone has parents and grandparents and the most vulnerable will die,” he said.

The state recorded 49 new cases yesterday, an increase of eight on Saturday’s figures.

Four of Sunday’s cases were linked to known outbreaks, with the source of infection still under investigation in the remaining 45.

The state has conducted 53,000 tests since the suburban coronavirus testing blitz started last week.

Meanwhile, a new world-first coronavirus test will be rolled out across Melbourne’s priority suburbs today.

The saliva test, developed by scientists at Victoria’s Doherty Institute, will replace the traditional nasal swab, with an army of health crews going door-to-door with the new testing equipment today.

Doherty Institute professor Sharon Lewin said saliva testing had been evaluated in multiple laboratories in other countries.

The individual collects saliva in their mouth for about a minute or two, before spitting it out and sending it to a lab.

“Saliva testing will play a role in bolstering testing reach across the state, particularly in vulnerable age groups,” Dr Lewin said.

Saliva testing picked up 87 per cent of 39 positive coronavirus cases from 600 tested specimens.
Dr Lewin said saliva tests could be “home-based tests” in the future.

“You could take this test at home and send it in, that would be the perfect outcome, but there is still a bit of work to go,” she said.

More than 100 people have undertaken the test in Keilor Downs, one of the city’s virus hot spots, along with Albanvale, Sunshine West, Maidstone, Hallam and Broadmeadows.

Brunswick West, Fawkner, Reservoir and Pakenham completed the top 10 list.

Royal Melbourne Hospital department of clinical microbiology Professor Deborah Williamson said the new test was a non-invasive alternative to COVID-19 testing.

“This novel diagnostic approach has been trialled in our laboratory and in labs around the world, and our work suggests this approach may be an alternative to swab testing in some settings,” she said.

“The Doherty Institute public health laboratories are pleased to work with the Victorian Government and other laboratories to assess the feasibility, acceptability and scalability of saliva testing in the community.”

Melburnians living outside the city’s hot spots can expect to receive traditional nasal swabs when being tested for coronavirus.