Premier Daniel Andrews has warned Melburnians a high testing rate is the only short-term path out of lockdown, as authorities try to suppress the state's worsening Delta outbreak.
Key points:
- There were 31,519 test results received on Monday, and 25,742 doses of vaccine were given at state-run sites
- Tougher restrictions in Melbourne came into effect at 11:59pm Monday
- A public health expert has questioned whether the curfew introduced in Melbourne will be effective
Victoria recorded 24 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases on Monday, 14 of whom were in quarantine during their infectious period.
Contact tracers have linked 21 of the cases back to existing clusters in the Delta outbreak.
The state processed 31,519 test results on Monday, when 25,742 doses of vaccine were delivered at state-run sites.
Mr Andrews said that testing rate was "not high enough".
"If you register any symptoms at all, please come forwards and get tested," he said.
"Getting vaccinated will be our way out of this in the long term.
"Getting tested as soon as you register symptoms is our way of getting out of this in the short term."
Mr Andrews said there was heightened concern about new cases in the local government areas of Port Phillip, Glen Eira and Bayside.
An engagement party held in the St Kilda East area was recently highlighted by the Premier as a breach of the rules that had resulted in some transmission.
Department of Health deputy secretary Kate Matson said recent concerns went beyond that and there were now five unlinked cases related to the St Kilda area.
"One lives in Dandenong and works in St Kilda. One lives in Middle Park and works in St Kilda. Others both live and work in St Kilda," she said.
"These cases got the virus from somewhere. The virus is circulating in those geographic areas of Melbourne."
A full list of testing sites can be found on the government's coronavirus website.
Authorities investigate potential transmission at playground
The rules for Melbourne's lockdown were tightened overnight, with the introduction of a 9:00pm-5:00am curfew and the closure of public playgrounds.
Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the tough rules were necessary as the state stood at "the brink" of being overwhelmed by the outbreak, partly due to some Melburnians continuing to breach restrictions.
The city's lockdown and curfew will be in place until September 2.
There are now more than 540 venues listed as COVID-19 exposure sites, with essential food shops around St Kilda among the most recent additions.
Professor Sutton has also flagged potential transmission of the virus at a playground.
Playgrounds have been closed as part of the tightened Melbourne lockdown now in place.
"It's not definitive and maybe we will not be able to make it definitive, but it looks like there's been transmission in a playground," Professor Sutton said.
"We have also seen transmission between students who were not in classes together who did not have any other face-to-face interaction other than sharing a walk home.
ABC News: Patrick Rocca
)"Didn't play together, don't live together, didn't have classes together. Shared an outdoor walk home and transmitted between them.
"That is more definitive. The risk is there."
He said 50 of the state's current active cases were under the age of 10.
Questions raised over Melbourne's curfew
Nathan Grills, a public health physician from the University of Melbourne's Nossal Institute, said he was broadly supportive of the toughened restrictions in Melbourne.
But he said there was not enough evidence to support the reintroduction of a curfew.
"Under stage 4 we can't do much anyway, so you've got to ask, what does a curfew add?" he told ABC Radio Melbourne.
Professor Grills said the curfew might be more effective as a deterrent rather than a public health measure.
"It probably does have some effect on people who are idiots and having parties and so on, which is a high-risk event," he said.
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The Victorian Council for Civil Liberties also questioned whether there was any evidence to support the reintroduction of a curfew.
"Merely making policing easier should not be a foundation for such restrictions on our freedom of movement," it said in a tweet.
Premier denounces 'evil' anti-Semitic commentary
The Royal Melbourne Hospital has confirmed a hospital support staff member has been sacked over anti-Semitic comments made on social media yesterday.
The comments on Facebook were in relation to a Melbourne engagement party that breached COVID-19 restrictions.
The hospital said the comments did not reflect the Royal Melbourne Hospital and its values and it apologised for the hurt and anger it caused.
Mr Andrews said any anti-Semitism was "unacceptable and evil".
"The event that we spoke about at some length yesterday was not a function of being Jewish, it was a stupid function, it was an illegal function," he said.
"Them breaking the rules was not a reflection on the Jewish community more broadly. It was not an act of faith or culture.
"It was not something that anyone should use to reflect upon a broader group of people in our Victorian community."
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Victoria records 24 new local COVID-19 cases as Melbourne wakes to tougher lockdown rules - ABC News
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