Andrews mum on ending Melbourne lockdown

The Victorian Premier has refused to be drawn on whether the state’s sixth lockdown would be extended beyond a week.

Flemington tower residents queue for Covid testing. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

The Victorian Premier has refused to be drawn on whether the state’s sixth lockdown would be extended beyond a week, despite declaring the latest restrictions were working to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

There were signs on Sunday that the state was close to getting its latest outbreak under control, with all 11 reported cases linked and residents of a Flemington public housing tower returning 200 negative tests so far.

A testing blitz at the base of the building, which was one of several public housing towers forced into hard lockdown last year in what the Ombudsman later described as a human rights violation, has been underway over the weekend.

Residents on the 17th floor, where a positive case had visited, have all returned negative results.

It emerged on Sunday that the family of eight who had tested positive for the virus no longer lived at the Flemington apartments, having recently moved out. One member of the family had been going between the old and new addresses to move furniture and personal items, however.

Premier Daniel Andrews said it was pleasing that all new cases were linked but it was too soon to rule whether the lockdown would end on Thursday as scheduled.

He said it was still concerning that the two cases that started these latest clusters – a teacher from the Hobsons Bay local government area and a Maribyrnong factory worker – could not be sourced.

“Eleven cases is certainly better than a higher number, and the fact they’re all linked is good – the lockdown is working,” Mr Andrews said.

“If we hadn’t locked down … we’re talking about an altogether different situation and potentially being locked in until everybody is vaccinated.

“That’s what’s happening in NSW and we don’t want that here.”

Flemington residents who were locked down without notice last year said they were anxious about the family that had contracted Covid-19 but authorities seemed to have learned from mistakes handling last year’s outbreak.

Resident Rahma Abdi said she was frightened when she heard the news.

“The way this was handled last year was absolutely atrocious. It made us feel like second-class citizens,” the 35-year-old said.

“I was waiting for the police to arrive. I was preparing the kids for the police to come.”

But they didn’t, and for that Ms Abdi – who does not live in the same tower as the Covid positive family – said she was pleased.

“They have learnt something from last year,” she said.

“Parents can still take their kids to the park, they can still do their groceries.”

Health authorities are shifting their contact tracing focus to a shopping centre in Melbourne’s west – the CS Square Shopping Centre at Caroline Springs — which has been linked to an additional three cases.

A pop-up testing site will be set up at the centre this week.

There are now 100 active cases across the state, most of them in Melbourne’s western suburbs.