State Government to determine more postcode lockdowns across Melbourne over weekend
More suburb lockdowns loom for Melbourne as the Victorian Government spends the weekend analysing crucial virus data.
The State Government will spend the weekend analysing key virus trend data to determine if more suburbs across Melbourne will go into lockdown.
Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters on Friday the process involved three steps, the first being identifying priority local government areas with more than twice the state case rate.
All postcodes within the area are then reviewed and a list is formed of “priority suburbs” with more than five cases of coronavirus and a rate greater than 20 positive cases per 100,000 residents.
“The weekend will be spent, many hours, analysing, considering and discussing back and forth what the status of other postcodes are,” Mr Andrews said.
“We’ll have further announcements to make, if indeed we need to, based off what that data tells us.
“The clarity of that formula is very important. I can’t guarantee that that formula wouldn’t at some point in the future change, but we certainly cannot rule out other suburbs being shut down.”
Victoria’s Health Minister Jenny Mikakos yesterday confirmed the 3064, 3047, 3031 and 3060 postcodes had recorded the most cases since the government’s suburban testing blitz started last week.
Of the four postcodes, 3031, which covers Flemington and Kensington, was not locked down on Thursday and was not included in the State Government’s priority list.
The suburbs sit in the Moonee Valley and Melbourne local government areas. The two municipalities have 32 active cases each, according to latest Health Department data.
“To make a decision like (locking a suburb down) you need to look at the trend, where the virus is heading in a given area and what is a very serious decision and very challenging one but if has to be made it will be,” Mr Andrews said.
Victoria recorded 66 new cases on Friday, adding to a total of 2368 for the state.
But alarmingly 10,000 Victorians had declined to be tested so far, with Ms Mikakos revealing some people thought the coronavirus was a conspiracy.
“It is concerning that some people believe that coronavirus is a conspiracy or that it won’t impact on them, so what I want to stress here is that coronavirus is a very contagious virus,” she said.
Ms Mikakos also warned of a potential “superspreader” who could be responsible for “many cases” across Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs.
About 330,000 residents living in the postcodes of 3038, 3064, 3047, 3060, 3012, 3032, 3055, 3042, 3021 and 3046, which are into day three of lockdown.
They are allowed to leave their homes for only four reasons: grocery shopping, caregiving, daily exercise, and school or work.
The restrictions will be in place until July 29.
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