Alarming new data has revealed Victoria’s coronavirus infections have reached figures not seen since early April – and they’re coming from within.
The all-important curve in infections now resembles a morbid smile, with infection rates skyrocketing across Melbourne’s suburbs.
The data comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison urges Victoria to issue shutdown orders now or risk the coronavirus outbreak in the state getting even worse.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has also announced 800 staff from the PM’s office would soon be coming to Victoria to help deal with the state’s COVID-19 crisis
The curve in Victoria has skyrocketed over the past couple of weeks as coronavirus infections continue to grow from within the suburbs of Melbourne
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has been criticised for holding press conferences but refusing to appear on news programs that might ask him some tough questions
A member of the Australian Defence Force administers a COVID-19 test at Melbourne Showgrounds on Monday
The new shutdowns could force around one million Melburnians to work from home and not leave their local government areas.
Months ago, as Victorians adhered to strict distancing laws, the war against COVID-19 was being fought at its international borders.
Back then, overseas travellers were identified as the greatest threat to the nation, with community spread well below the figures they would reach months later.
On Monday, Australia recorded 85 new coronavirus cases – 75 in Victoria, seven in New South Wales and three in South Australia.
That figure is expected to be reflected again when the latest figures are released on Tuesday.
A total of 10 schools in Melbourne have been closed for cleaning following positive coronavirus tests as local footy comps are cancelled and the AFL fixture is thrown into turmoil.
South Australia announced on Tuesday it would not be letting Victorians in next month as planned.
While it remains unclear who exactly the 800 ‘support staff’ will be, residents living in Melbourne’s COVID-19 hotspots fear they may soon be walled in by troops.
The six areas include the municipalities of Hume, Brimbank, Moreland and Darebin, in Melbourne’s north; and Casey and Cardinia, in Melbourne’s south-east.
About 200 Australian Defence Force soldiers were deployed into Victoria last week after Mr Andrews made the call to Canberra for assistance.
Those soldiers are understood to be already carrying out door-to-door tests in hot spots.
While Victorian government spin doctors refuse to call the surge in infection rates a ‘second wave’, some experts have declared they have no doubt about it.
‘I think this is clearly a second wave – the question is whether it is a ripple or the start of a tsunami,’ Professor Hamish McCallum, an infectious diseases expert from Griffith University, said.
‘Victoria needs to stamp out these emerging spikes as quickly as possible. In addition to the increased testing, I think there is a case to lockdown the hotspot suburbs. This is surely likely to lead to Queensland in particular reassessing whether to open the borders to Victoria and New South Wales.’
Sunday’s surge was Victoria’s biggest increase since March 31, bringing the state’s total to 2099 cases on Monday night, of which 288 were active.
Victorians began to strip supermarket shelves again last week amid fears of a second wave of COVID-19 infections and pending lock down
Staff inside the Stamford Hotel in Melbourne are seen moving luggage for guests in quarantine last week. The Stamford has been a hot bed for COVID-19, with outbreaks linked back to security at the hotel
Most of the new spike in infections came from community-based transmissions rather than from overseas travellers, with many new cases being transmitted from people going to work or social gatherings when sick.
In March, Victorians largely agreed with the social distancing restrictions implemented as the country looked abroad at places like Italy that were at the time being decimated by COVID-19.
Back then, Mr Andrews was applauded for his strong and powerful presence and tough stance against a national collective which at the time appeared a little complacent.
Victorians got fully behind the restrictions aimed at community isolation measures designed to keep the daily number of disease cases at a manageable level for medical providers – known as the ‘curve’.
Mr Andrews was seen as a strong leader in a time that Prime Minister Scott Morrison was being openly mocked for his response to the crisis.
Some mused that if the Victorian premier ran for prime minister in March, he probably would have been elected.
Move forward to June 30 and Mr Andrews is under siege from within and the people who just months ago had backed his play.
A Newspoll conducted for The Australian revealed on Tuesday a marked fall in voters’ trust for Mr Andrews.
The poll came as Victorians were told at least 30 per cent of people who went through hotel quarantine in the state refused to take a test – but were allowed to leave after 14 days anyway.
It was further revealed that security guards and cleaners at quarantine hotels had not been trained properly.
This likely led to a spread of cases from quarantined travellers to the workers and then to their families, with the spread increased by the cold weather when socially connected large families gathered in closed spaces for longer.
Mr Andrews has also come under fire for allowing 10,000 protesters to hit the streets of Melbourne just as restrictions were about to be eased.
While Victorian Department of Health and Human Services officials continue to report that the current burst of cases does not stem from the Black Lives Matter rally, it has given the premier’s enemies an open door to attack him.
Liberal politicians have smashed the Andrews Government on social media in recent days.
Mr Andrews was further set back by the corruption and branch-stacking scandal which saw him have to expel Labor minister Adem Somyurek.
Soldiers in camo gear have converged on Melbourne amid fears suburbs may be locked down by Australian Defence Force troops
Labor minister Adem Somyurek was dumped by Daniel Andrews amid a branch stacking scandal that has damaged the premier
Mr Somyurek was forced out of the party after a 60 Minutes report alleged he used his own cash and the help of parliamentary employees to create fake branch members and amass political influence.
Many Victorians believe Mr Andrews took his hands of the COVID-19 wheel as he worked to get his own house in order behind the scenes.
The latest Newspoll showed voters have punished Mr Andrews for the scandal, marking down his overall performance as premier.
On Tuesday, news commentators across the country noted that Mr Andrews had appeared to have gone missing.
Talk back radio was again awash with calls of coronavirus concerns.
Many were asking the same thing: ‘Where is the premier and what is he hiding’.