Victorian virus cases remain high as Premier Daniel Andrews warns more postcode lockdowns to be considered

Premier Daniel Andrews has revealed that a shockingly high number of Victorians have refused to take the vital coronavirus test.

Victoria recorded 66 cases overnight, a total of 2368 for the state, Premier Daniel Andrews announced this morning.

Seventeen cases were linked to contained outbreaks, one from hotel quarantine, 20 cases came from routine testing and 28 remain under investigation.

But people are still refusing to be tested for the deadly virus with Victoria’s Health Minister Jenny Mikakos confirming more than 10,000 Victorians had declined so far.

“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 about a potential “super-spreader” who could be responsible for “many cases” across Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs.

More than 1064 tests have been conducted since the suburban blitz started last week, with 95,000 doors knocked on and 449 confirmed coronavirus cases.

Ms Mikakos also said the 3064, 3047, 3031 and 3060 postcodes had recorded the most cases in the suburban testing blitz.

Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos warns of a super-spreader across Melbourne’s north and west. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Wayne Taylor

Residents living in the 3038, 3064, 3047, 3060, 3012, 3032, 3055, 3042, 3021 and 3046 postcodes are now only allowed to leave their homes for four reasons: grocery shopping, care giving reasons, daily exercise and school or work purposes.

The restrictions will be in place until July 29.

Mr Andrews said the State Government would consider over the weekend whether more suburbs would go into lockdown.

He said officials would undergo a three-step process, based off data, where a local government area is assessed, before narrowing down priority suburbs with a high rate of active cases.

There are also fresh fears for students after Melbourne recorded its first student-to-student transmission coronavirus case yesterday.

It raised fears for when staff and students return to the classroom in term three.

Victoria’s chief health officer Brett Sutton confirmed of yesterday’s 77 new cases across the state there had been transmission between students and between teachers at multiple schools.

Five new cases were linked to Albanvale Primary School located in a COVID-19 hot spot in Melbourne’s west, while two new cases were linked to Al-Taqwa College in Truganina.

Police perform random checks on drivers and passengers at Camp Rd after Broadmeadows went into lockdown on Thursday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Andrew Henshaw

Mr Andrews was tight-lipped over allegations unqualified and ill-trained security guards were deployed to look after the State Government’s quarantine program in at least 15 Melbourne hotels.

A judicial inquiry will probe the scandal with a report due on September 25.

The Northern Territory reported a new confirmed case of coronavirus for the first time since April 6 yesterday, with the man in his 30s who tested positive returning to Darwin from a Melbourne hot spot.

NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles said he had quarantined in Melbourne after returning from overseas, and then spent time with family in one of the city’s hot spots.

A Woolworths employee also sparked a health scare yesterday after he tested positive for coronavirus while quarantining in Melbourne but was allowed to return to Sydney.

The man tested positive after flying into Melbourne from Bangladesh on June 11, but was cleared to be released from the hotel quarantine after 14 days inside.