Victoria has recorded no new cases of COVID-19 overnight, providing a possible glimmer of hope that efforts to control the current outbreak of the virus in Melbourne are working.
Per ABC News reports, Jeroen Weimar of the DHHS said that the number of cases linked to the current cluster stands at eight, and that signs are “positive” the spread is slowing.
He went on to say that around 170 people have been identified as close contacts of the cases in the community, and it is likely that more cases will emerge from this group in days to come.
He also noted that the cluster is not confined to suburban Melbourne, saying:
“We have one of these positive cases which is in Leongatha, so the close contact is now quite a wide area. My appeal would be don’t think this is just a Bayside suburbs, Mitcham issue, it is not only a Melbourne issue, it is a Victorian issue.”
Addressing the media this morning, Health Minister Martin Foley said:
“There are currently 18 cases of coronavirus in Victoria, with eight new cases notified yesterday the 31st of December, including those that were reported late yesterday afternoon. Of these 18, nine are locally acquired. This is the increase of five, which were the cases that we indicated yesterday. There are nine cases in hotel quarantine, an increase of three since yesterday.”
He continued:
“There has been a total of 3,899,001 test results, during the course of the pandemic. That’s an increase of 13,108 since yesterday. I want to thank all of those Victorians for getting tested, is the most important thing you can do, and I would urge anyone who has even the slightest symptoms to come in and get tested.”
New Year’s Eve revelers were urged to celebrate at home overnight, however, there was some concern in Melbourne as crowds flocked to both Federation Square and St Kilda Beach.
Three people were arrested at Fed Square in the countdown to midnight, while the Herald Sun also reports that two arrests were made at St Kilda Beach.
