9 Out Of 10 Victorians Who Tested Positive To COVID-19 Did Not Self-Isolate Properly

A furious Dan Andrews has lashed out at thousands of Victorians who have tested positive to COVID-19 who have not followed proper quarantine measures, and who have continued to go to work or go shopping despite feeling sick.

Premier Andrews revealed the concerning statistics in a testy press conference, confirming that 9 out of 10 Victorians who tested positive to COVID-19 across the past two weeks did not isolate and quarantine themselves between starting to feel unwell and going to get a test.

Further to that still, Andrews revealed that 53% of people then continued to not isolate themselves in the period between undertaking the test and receiving test results.

From 3,810 cases, which are the cases between July 7 and July 21, I’m very unhappy and very sad to have to report that nearly 9 in 10 – or 3,400 cases – did not isolate between when they first felt sick and when they went to get a test,” Andrews asserted.

“People have felt sick, they’ve got symptoms, and they’ve kept going shopping. They’ve kept going to work.”

Andrews then revealed that over half of those cases also refused to isolate during the period between getting tested and receiving test results.

“I’m equally saddened to have to report that 53% – or 2,056 of those 3,810 cases – did not isolate. That is, did not stay at home and have no contact with anybody else, between when they had their test taken and when they got the results of that test. 53% of people continuing to go shopping, continuing to go to work, continuing to do all sorts of things even though they’ve got symptoms,” the Premier stated.

Andrews was at pains to stress that for people where factors like a lack of sick leave or insecure work are concerned, payment support for quarantine periods is available.

“Now, we’ve spoken a number of times about the fact that many families – because of insecure work, casualisation in our workforce, no sick leave to fall back on – we have spoken many times about the fact that it’s not about blaming people for the circumstances they find themselves in, it’s not about being critical of people for the circumstances they find themselves in, it’s about acknowledging the facts and being clear about those,” he stated.

“If you haven’t got access to sick leave, if you haven’t got access to a payment – so, to not go to work would mean you are worse off financially – then you’ve got only one thing to do. Call 1800-675-398. Hopefully, lots of people make that phone call, and it may take a little while for the phone to be answered and for someone to process your claim, but make that call. And if you are working, and for purposes of illness, waiting for a test result, or a positive result and, therefore, having to quarantine at home for 14 days, you are eligible for a $1,500 payment where you can’t fall back on sick leave.”

“No-one should be waiting for a test result at the supermarket or at their place of work or anywhere else other than their home.”

Andrews also stated firmly that “there’s no announcements to be made today about any changes to the rules,” in regards to the prospect of a New Zealand-style “Stage 4” hard lockdown in Victoria, which has been the subject of widespread speculation.

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