Coronavirus Victoria: Increase in COVID-19 testing sites

There will be an increase in coronavirus testing sites in Victoria as the state works to combat massive spikes in COVID-19.

The Victorian Government is stepping up its ability to identify and respond to coronavirus cases in regional communities by adding more testing sites.

Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said there were 160 different COVID-19 testing sites across Victoria at the moment, with 60 of them in regional communities.

“We are looking to establish new sites or expand existing ones to make it easier for regional Victorians to be tested,” she said.

“So those new and expanded sites will be in a number of communities across Victoria.

“We want to encourage regional Victorians to not be complacent.”

Those sites will be at Wonthaggi, Bendigo, Koo Wee Rup, Mildura and Shepparton.

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Coronavirus testing sites are being increased across Victoria. Picture: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

Premier Daniel Andrews said the state continued to see low numbers in regional Victoria, with about five announced today, among a record 428 cases.

“They are relatively low numbers in the scheme of things and we are comforted by that,” he said.

“These things can change rapidly though and that is why additional test sites and expanded test sites are critically important.

“We are also standing up dedicated regional public health teams, so local squads that really can bring that intensive intervention to even the smallest number of cases to really sit on those positive cases, to make sure that they get the best public health response, that we catch them early and we can limit their contact with other people.”

Mr Andrews said he was very grateful to those who had tested positive in regional Victoria for following detailed quarantine rules, making sure that they stayed at home and were not spreading the virus through anything they did.

“That is critically important and again, a really significant contribution that those individuals, albeit small numbers, are making to keeping those numbers very small right across regional Victoria,” he said.