Coronavirus: Testing blitz as Premier warns numbers will rise

A trebling of fresh coronavirus cases in Victoria over the past eight days has prompted the Premier to launch a testing blitz.

Premier Daniel Andrews has launched a testing blitz in response to the sudden surge in the number of new coronavirus cases in Victoria. Picture: Sky News

A trebling of coronavirus cases in Victoria over the past eight days has prompted Daniel Andrews to launch an unprecedented testing blitz across 10 suburban hotspots, as he warned the figure would ­continue to rise.

Victoria recorded 33 new infections on Thursday — the highest daily number of new cases since the surge started last week — with the figure jumping from 58 to 143 in the period from June 17 to 24.

There have been only 20 new cases in the rest of the country in that time.

“I just can’t stress this enough. We will see these numbers go up in coming days,” the Premier said on Thursday. “That will be a measure of the work we are doing, a measure of the success of this strategy.”

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Victoria on Thursday was 1917, with nine of the 33 new cases linked to known and contained outbreaks. Seven Victorians are receiving treatment in hospital.

NSW recorded four new cases on Thursday. All other states and territories had no new infections.

The Victorian blitz will target 50 per cent of residents in Keilor Downs, Broadmeadows, Maidstone, Albanvale, Sunshine West, Hallam, Brunswick West, Fawkner, Reservoir and Pakenham.

“The first three days are solely focused on Keilor Downs and Broadmeadows, but we will move to the balance of those suburbs over the course of a 10-day period,” Mr Andrews said, declaring that Broadmeadows and Keilor Downs were the “worst-affected” in terms of community transmission.

The local government area of Brimbank, which takes in Keilor Downs, is now Melbourne’s worst hotspot, with 21 new cases. Some 10,000 residents a day will be tested in the 10 locations by a fleet of 800 crew in mobile testing vans.

The LGAs of Brimbank, Hume and Casey jumped from two, six and five new cases last Wednesday to 21, 17 and 11 on Thursday. There are now 10 LGAs in Victoria with at least five active cases each.

Mr Andrews likened the pandemic to a “public health bushfire”, declaring it “no less serious” than an inferno. But Scott Morrison said Australia was well-equipped to deal with the infection spikes. “There are a few challenges in Melbourne at the moment but, as we said, there will be outbreaks,” the Prime Minister said.

Australia’s death toll has been revised up to 104 after NSW authorities added an 85-year-old man who died in April to the tally.