Victoria records its first coronavirus case in weeks as person tests positive – after banning international flights for months over hotel outbreak
- Victoria records first coronavius case since resumption of hotel quarantine
- Traveller tested positive in hotel after arriving back in Australia from overseas
- Case is the state’s first since March 29 as state puts new system to the test
Victoria has reported its first positive coronavirus test since the state resumed its hotel quarantine system – putting its new procedures to the test following its most recent breakdown.
The program was suspended in early February after an outbreak at the Melbourne Airport Holiday Inn, but resumed on Thursday as the state re-opened borders to returning overseas Australians.
On Saturday morning, the Victorian Health Department said they had reported one new case overnight.
‘Yesterday there was one new case reported. The case was acquired overseas and is in hotel quarantine,’ the department tweeted on Saturday.
Victoria has reported its first positive coronavirus test since the state resumed its hotel quarantine system
The state had a five-day lockdown in February after an outbreak at the Holiday Inn
The new case is the first in Victoria since March 29 and there has been no community transmissions in 42 days.
The state has been the hardest hit by the pandemic, registering 20,484 of the country’s 29,390 total cases and 820 of its 909 deaths.
Victorians were locked down for 112 consecutive days in the second half of 2020 after a mass outbreak brought the Melbourne to its knees.
They faced another five-day lockdown in February following the Holiday Inn leak.
The new case is the first Victoria has seen since March 29 and have had no community transmissions in 42 days
Covid-19 Victoria Commissioner Emma Cassar said the new system is ‘as safe as can be’ but admitted it would be reviewed on a daily basis to ensure there was not a repeat scenario.
‘We have done everything we can to make this as safe as we can, and will continue to ensure that the program keeps ahead of this virus,’ Ms Cassar said on Wednesday.
‘It isn’t a risk-proof program, we’ve been clear on that, but what we can do is ensure that we are… looking at the research and looking at what else we can do or other control measures that we need to put in place.’
More than 100 travellers landed in Melbourne on Thursday, with police saying they had inspected every room to ensure it was secure.