Victorian train commuters from two weeks urged to get tested for Covid-19

There are major concerns that people on crowded trains two weeks ago could be unknowingly spreading coronavirus, amid a race to contain an outbreak.

Victoria’s chief health officer says he is “concerned” people travelling on a crowded train two weeks ago could be unknowingly spreading coronavirus.

It comes as health officials on Tuesday announced a new Covid-19 case, in addition to the four revealed on Monday.

Minister for Health Martin Foley also confirmed the City of Whittlesea cluster was possibly linked to a Wollert man who completed hotel quarantine in South Australia after returning to Australia from India on April 19.

He returned to his Wollert home in Melbourne’s north on May 4 and developed symptoms four days later.

Chief health officer Brett Sutton said he feared the missing link between that case and the five new infections announced this week could be “on a crowded train on the Craigieburn line”.

chief health officer Brett Sutton urged train commuters to get tested. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

The state’s health department listed the follow sites as exposure sites on May 7:

The Craigieburn to Southern Cross train service on May 7 – departing 5.28pm and arriving 6.07pm – has been added as a tier 2 exposure site.

The Flinders Street to Craigieburn train service on May 7 – departing 10.20pm and arriving 11.05pm – is also a tier 2 site.

On Tuesday, Mr Sutton asked those commuters to “still come forward”.

“There might still be cases from the train trip,” he told reporters.

“They are probably not infectious, but it would be great to identify them.

“People can have an incubation period of up to 14 days. It is usually five or six days, but then they can be symptomatic and positive or at least 10 days after and sometimes longer so it is still worthwhile getting tested even from that train trip.”