Victoria has recorded 41 new cases of coronavirus today, bringing the state’s total to a whopping 1987 cases.
Of the 41 new recorded cases, eight have been linked to outbreaks, 13 were found through regular routine testing, and one was detected in hotel quarantine, with an additional 19 cases still under investigation, according to Deputy Health Officer Dr Annalise van Diemen.
A staggering 260 cases are a result of community transmission, which is pretty concerning for Victorian residents.
“We currently have 260 cases that indicate they are community transmission, we don’t have a clear source for those cases. So that’s an increase of 15 since yesterday,” Dr van Diemen said, according to 9News.
As it currently stands, there are 204 active cases in the state, including five people in hospital, one of which is currently in intensive care.
The huge spike in cases has prompted the state to issue emergency alerts for residents in two of the most vulnerable “hotspot” suburbs, Keilor Downs and Broadmeadows.
Residents in these areas will be able to access increased testing services to help identify other potential cases in the areas.
“For those hotspot suburbs, that testing continues to be available for people who are symptomatic and asymptomatic. And for the rest of Victoria, the message really does remain that if you are symptomatic please get tested straight away,” she said.
It is important to note that Dr van Diemen also asserted that Melbourne’s Black Lives Matter protest “was not the seeding event of any cluster,” according to the evidence they currently have.
The Deputy Health Officer explained that it was merely a coincidence that the H&M worker who later tested positive for COVID-19 attended the rally.
The news comes after Premier Dan Andrews announced that the state’s new testing blitz would aim to test half the population of the hotspots suburbs over a three-day period.
As it currently stands, Melbourne’s “hot spot” suburbs are Keilor Downs, Broadmeadows, Maidstone, Albanvale, Sunshine West, Brunswick West, Fawkner, Reservoir, Hallam and Pakenham.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: keep your distance, wash your hands and stay home if you can. We’re seeing some pretty hefty spikes in cases in Victoria, so it’s time we all start taking coronavirus seriously.
Do the right thing.
