Why the next three days are crucial in Victoria’s fight against COVID-19 after an explosion of cases

Why the next three days are crucial in Victoria’s fight against COVID-19 after ANOTHER explosion of coronavirus cases sweeps the state

  •  Metropolitan Melbourne went into strict coronavirus lockdown on Wednesday 
  •  The next three to five days will show its impact on the spread of the virus
  •  Victoria recorded 216 new and 1,249 active coronavirus cases on Saturday 
  •  Over 500 cases may have been acquired through community transmission 

The next three days will signal if Melbourne’s tough coronavirus lockdowns are taking effect after another explosion of community transmissions. 

Metropolitan Melbourne went into a six week stay-at-home order on Wednesday night after Victoria recorded an alarming spike in coronavirus cases.  

Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the impact of the stage three lockdown on the spread of the virus should emerge in the coming days.

‘With respect to stage three restrictions across metro Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, it’s in the next three to five days that it should be having an effect,’ he explained. 

Metropolitan Melbourne (Flinders Street Station pictured) and Mitchell Shire was plunged into a six-week stage three lockdown on Wednesday after an alarming spike in COVID-19 cases 

Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton (pictured) said the impact of the lockdown on the spread of the virus would emerge in the next three to five days

Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton (pictured) said the impact of the lockdown on the spread of the virus would emerge in the next three to five days 

Victoria recorded 216 new coronavirus cases on Saturday and has a total of 1,249 active cases.   

Professor Sutton said there was no guarantee of seeing immediate results given the ‘pressure of infection’ in the community and on frontline healthcare workers.   

‘Those restrictions limit substantially the number of interactions in homes, socially, outside but there are people who need to go to work.

‘And when you have a significant pressure of infection that we have with numbers now, we know there will be transmission because of the work people have to do.

‘We can’t be guaranteed that will turn around in three to five days,’ he explained.   

Of the 216 new cases announced on Saturday, 180 are under investigation and only 30 have been linked to known outbreaks. 

Victoria Health have indicated that as many as 535 active coronavirus cases could have been acquired through community transmission.  

Professor Sutton said just having people stay home wouldn’t be enough to slow the spread of coronavirus. 

Victoria recorded 1,249 active coronavirus cases (testing in Melbourne pictured) on Saturday and it is believed that as many as 535 cases were acquired through community transmission

Victoria recorded 1,249 active coronavirus cases (testing in Melbourne pictured) on Saturday and it is believed that as many as 535 cases were acquired through community transmission 

‘We need to work with the masks, the workplaces, make sure people are doing the right things in terms of excluding themselves and getting tested as part of that,’ he said.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Saturday urged residents not to search for lockdown loopholes. 

‘What I’m asking Victorians to do is not to spend time trying to find ways to get around the rules but instead to follow them,’ Mr Andrews said. 

The state currently has 49 cases of coronavirus in hospital, including 15 in intensive care.      

Around 20,000 to 25,000 Victorians are being tested daily and capacity in the state’s pathology labs has increased to 25,000 tests a day. 

Interstate labs are also being used to test Victorian samples.

The premier said he had accepted all offers of support from Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

He said defence force staff have also been deployed at checkpoints and more are on their way. 

Lockdown residents in Metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire are only able to leave their homes for essential supplies, study, work and local exercise. 

Melbourne residents in lockdown may only leave their homes for essential supplies, study, work and local exercise

Melbourne residents in lockdown may only leave their homes for essential supplies, study, work and local exercise

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