Coronavirus: ADF Victorian door-knock campaign to find isolation dodgers

Australian Defence Force personnel will knock on the door of every positive coronavirus case in Victoria in a crackdown on isolation dodgers.

ADF personnel assist with a COVID-19 testing at Melbourne Showgrounds on Wednesday. Picture: Getty Images

Australian Defence Force personnel will knock on the door of every positive coronavirus case in Victoria in a crackdown on isolation dodgers.

Teams of army personnel and public health workers will be door-knocking from Thursday after the number of coronavirus deaths in Victoria jumped to 92 on Wednesday.

As the state recorded 295 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, three people in their 20s were battling the disease in intensive care, with a total of 307 people in Victorian hospitals because of the virus.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said teams would visit people who couldn’t be reached by phone or who were refusing to co-operate with the Department of Health and Human Services. “That’s not just about compliance but making sure every single positive case knows and understands what we’re asking them to do,” he said.

Mr Andrews said door knockers had uncovered 29 people who did not answer when they were meant to be self-isolating.

From Thursday, employers must notify WorkSafe immediately upon becoming aware of a worker testing positive.

Aside from outbreaks in the aged-care sector, linked to 804 active cases, workplaces are believed to be driving Victoria’s numbers, with Mr Andrews previously pointing the finger at the rise of casual labour.

Of Victoria’s abattoir and smallgoods outbreaks, 100 cases have each been linked to the Somerville Retail Services abattoir in Tottenham, in Melbourne’s west, and Bertocchi Smallgoods in Thomastown, in the north.

Meatworks JBS in Brooklyn, in Melbourne’s west, has been linked to 78 cases while 51 cases have been linked to the Australian Lamb Company in Colac, 160km southwest of Melbourne.

Victoria has 4839 active cases. In 1117 cases, contact tracers have been unable to establish a source since July 1. Another 3421 cases were under investigation on Wednesday.