Mystery Covid-19 cases put Victoria on high alert

Victoria is on the brink of losing control of its latest coronavirus outbreak, with 43 mystery cases identified in the three days to Monday.

Victorian Covid logistics chief Jeroen Weimar says there had been a ‘significant jump‘ in mystery cases in recent days. Picture: Ian Currie

Victoria is on the brink of losing control of its latest coronavirus outbreak, with 43 mystery cases identified in the three days to Monday in locations all over Melbourne, and even on the Mornington Peninsula.

The 71 new community-­acquired cases represent Victoria’s highest daily case count since September 3, 2020, when the state recorded 75 cases as its deadly second wave receded. Of the 71, 22 remained under investigation for a source of acquisition, adding to 10 mystery cases on Sunday, and 11 on Saturday.

Locations with mystery cases in recent days extend from Docklands in central Melbourne to Essendon West and Airport West in Melbourne’s northwest, Camberwell in the east, Thornbury and Fiztroy North in the north, Maidstone, Caroline Springs, Altona North, Yarraville and Truganina in the west, Frankston, Keysborough and Mordialloc in the southeast, and Sorrento at the far end of the Mornington Peninsula, more than 100km from the CBD.

Of 501 community-acquired cases confirmed in the fortnight to Monday, 230, or 46 per cent, have been in quarantine for the duration of their infectious period – down from 50 per cent in the fortnight to last Thursday. Just 16 of Monday’s 71 cases, or 23 per cent, did not spend time in the community while infectious.

The state’s Covid logistics chief Jeroen Weimar said there had been a “significant jump” in mystery cases in recent days.

“Where we find one case, we’re very likely to find more,” Mr Weimar said. “That shows the growing pattern of coronavirus cases and it’s so important, therefore, not only that people comply with the isolation protocols, but for all of us wherever we’re living in the state, we need to be really aware that Covid can be just around the corner.

“We can still grab this and get hold of this and manage these numbers down but that’s going to require all of us to work together,” he said.

Monday’s new cases included 14 linked to an outbreak centred on Shepparton, in Victoria’s north, which now comprises 36 cases, 10 linked to a Newport cluster of 61 cases, eight linked to the MyCentre childcare cluster of 50 cases in Broadmeadows, and five linked to a cluster of 10 cases – including four patients and six staff members – at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

The index case for the cluster at the hospital is a patient from Shepparton who was first admitted on August 12. The person was not tested prior to being treated, with Victoria’s health department moving on Sunday to reinstate mandatory testing for elective surgery patients in response to the outbreak.

About 450 staff at the hospital have been furloughed as a result of the cases, with more staff affected by separate Covid exposures at several other hospitals.

Statewide on Monday, there were 29 people in Victorian hospitals with coronavirus, including nine in intensive care, of whom five were on ventilators.