Coronavirus: Missing isolaters tighten the screws in Victoria

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has revealed one-in-four people in self-isolation were busted not at home by door knockers.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews in Melbourne on Friday. Picture: David Geraghty

Further restrictions on Victorians loom after the revelation that one in four people meant to be in self-isolation were busted not at home by door knockers.

Premier Daniel Andrews flagged that “further steps” may need to be taken after the state recorded 627 new coronavirus cases on Friday, with the COVID-19 death toll rising by eight to 112.

Mr Andrews said that, following a “long conversation” with Scott Morrison on Thursday night, federal and Victorian public health experts would work together to identify the source of the state’s growing second wave.

“I’ve got no announcements to make about next steps but it is important­ that all of us acknow­ledge that these numbers are still far too high,” he said. “We could not open up with these numbers, we could not open with significantly less than these numbers.”

Due to the time in processing results, Mr Andrews said Friday’s numbers applied to Wednesday, which marked the halfway point of a six-week lockdown of metropolitan Melbourne and the ­Mitchell Shire.

On Thursday, the state had a record high 723 new cases. Teams of Australian Defence Force personnel and Victorian public health workers knocked on the doors of 500 people who were meant to be self-isolating.

Mr Andrews revealed that more than 130 people, about one in four, had not been at home, with 100 cases referred to Victoria Police. “It’s not acceptable and no element of this strategy will be successful if, when we doorknock you, we’re finding one in four people­ not at home, they’re somewhere else,” the Premier said.

“Those matters have been referred to Victoria Police.”

Mr Andrews said in some instances the doorknocking teams had been able to help those in quarantine with getting prescriptions filled and grocery shopping.

Of Victoria‘s 627 new cases recorded on Friday, 77 are linked to outbreaks or complex cases while 550 remain under investigation.

Meanwhile, 1792 of Victoria‘s 5743 cases of COVID-19 may indicate community transmission, an increase of 94 from Thursday.

Mr Andrews said he shared a “strong partnership” with the Prime Minister and expected to speak to him again, with both understanding there could be no economic recovery­ until the number of cases in Victoria fell.

“Until we deal with this public health emergency, it’s incredibly difficult — in fact almost impossible — for us to see businesses recover­ and survive,” he said.

The number of coronavirus cases in the local government area of Wyndham in Melbourne’s far southwest has jumped by 70, bringing the active cases to 601.

The LGA has the second-high­est number of cases, followed by Brimbank in the city’s northwest, which recorded seven new cases on Friday, for a total of 658.

The LGA of Whittlesea in Melbourne’s far north recorded 43 new cases, bringing the total of active cases to 435.

The postcode of 3029, which covers the suburbs of Truganina, Hoppers Crossing and Tarneit, has the most active cases in the state for one postcode, with 346.

It is followed by postcode 3064, which has 286 cases and covers the suburbs of Craigieburn, Donnybrook, Kalkallo, Mickleham and Roxburgh Park.

Victoria Police fined more than 50 people in 24 hours for refusing to wear a face mask, and issued 124 health infringements.

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the embracing of mask wearing had been fantastic. “I think people understand that it’s a small intervention to make,” he said. “There might be people who feel it‘s a constraint on their liberty and need to protest — I’d rather see them naked with a mask than not have a mask on.”