Infectious Indian variant detected in Victorian cluster ‘of concern’

The Indian variant of Covid-19 detected among the nine cases in the Victorian virus outbreak is ‘of concern’, experts have warned.

The highly infectious Indian variant of Covid-19 detected in one of the nine cases in the Victorian virus outbreak is “of concern”, a leading disease expert says.

And Victoria’s chief health officer Dr Brett Sutton said the fact the new COVID-19 case is the “so-called Indian variant” and is “not one to be complacent about”.

As Victoria extends its lockdown after cases doubled from the previous day, the Indian mutation was detected in one of the five new cases among a family in the northern Melbourne suburb of Whittlesea.

Professor Sharon Lewin of The Doherty Institute told ABC TV’s 7.30 that it was among “a number of issues of concern” regarding the latest outbreak in Victoria.

“First of all, it is nine cases with no new transmission … for a long time in Victoria, and it is the Indian variant which we know is more infectious.”

Professor Lewin also said the low rate of vaccination was a worry, “simply because … you need to get people vaccinated to prevent severe infection and hospitalisation and death.”
In a media conference on Tuesday, Dr Sutton said the Indian strain was at least as infectious as other mutant variants, including the highly infectious UK strain.

“It is by no means one to be complacent about,” he said.

Professor Sharon Lewin of The Doherty Institute says the infectious Indian variant in Melbourne is ‘of concern’. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Ian Currie

Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton said this is not time to be complacent about the infectious Indian variant in Melbourne. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Ian Currie

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Along with acting Victorian Premier James Merlino, Dr Sutton announced the five new COVID-19 cases which had prompted a return to mandatory mask-wearing indoors and tighter gathering restrictions for metropolitan Melbourne.

On Tuesday morning, it was announced that a man aged in his 60s had tested positive and his infection was linked to the four cases identified on Monday as the City of Whittlesea outbreak.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Victorian government announced four new infections bringing the Whittlesea outbreak to a total of nine, all of them family contacts.

It is believed the man in his 60s is the person identified so far as having the Indian strain of coronavirus.

From 6pm on Tuesday, private home gatherings in metropolitan Melbourne would be limited to five people per day, and public gatherings to 30.

Everyone aged 12 years and older would need to wear face masks indoors, unless an exemption applied

Further family members of the Whittlesea cluster are being tested.

Professor Lewin told 7.30 that the situation of low infections in Australia could not continue due to the high infections the rest of the world was experiencing.

“Australia is in a quite unique position because we are coming up from zero,” she said.

“But what we are doing right now is not sustainable in the long term.

“So eventually we will have to accept some cases (until) we have a very high rate of vaccination.

“I think we have a long way to go.”

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