Another 150,000 Victorians, enough people to fill the MCG one-and-a-half times, will be tested for coronavirus by the end of the month under a State Government plan to help decide which restrictions can be lifted.
Key points:
- Victoria has already tested 150,000 people and wants to double that by the end of May
- Rapid response teams will be set up within a special outbreak unit in the Victorian Health Department
- Premier Daniel Andrews is set to announce his plan for going forward as the state of emergency comes to an end
Later today, Premier Daniel Andrews will announce the first round of restrictions that will be lifted for Victorians, with the state of emergency provisions due to expire at midnight.
Over the past fortnight, there have been 154,000 swabs taken as part of testing blitz that the Government is using to determine which restrictions will be lifted.
Prior to the blitz 104,000 Victorians had been tested.
The Government is now aiming for another 150,000 tests in the next three weeks, with people with even the mildest symptoms urged to seek a test.
The data will be used to determine whether more restrictions can be lifted.
There have been 1,487 cases in Victoria, with 10 new cases recorded on Sunday.
Eighteen people have died, but there has not been a fatality since April 28.
Currently, only 118 people are considered to have an "active" case of the virus in Victoria.
As part of a $20 million plan to be released today, Victoria is also setting up an "outbreak unit" within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
It will include "rapid response squads" to be staffed by public health specialists and clinicians to ensure appropriate testing, contact tracing and deep cleaning is carried out as soon as a cluster is identified.
The squad will also check high-risk venues and industries.
The Government has been under fire for the handling of an outbreak at the Cedar Meats abattoir in the western suburbs, with 76 cases now linked to the Brooklyn business.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos warned that as the state eased restrictions there would be further positive coronavirus cases, and possible outbreaks.
"We have to stay vigilant until there is a vaccine, which is why we're boosting our public health surveillance and response capacity, to keep Victorians safe as we move into the next phase of our pandemic response,'' she said.
Mobile testing teams and pop-up test sites established in the past fortnight will continue for the rest of the month.
Researchers in Victoria will also receive a further $8 million to continue work on understanding the virus.
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2020-05-10 19:42:12Z
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