- Another 30 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Victoria in the past 24 hours, as the state’s infection rate continues to soar
- In response to the spike, Victorian officials are trying to test 50 per cent of residents living in hotspot areas
- Officials have also scaled back their support request to the Australian Defence Force (ADF), with only 150 officers to be deployed, not 850
- The military will be stationed at hotel’s with quarantine patients, to ensure there are no breaches
- Australia’s COVID-19 death toll has also increased to 104, after an elderly man’s death in NSW was reclassified yesterday
- Sydney is also reporting a run on essential items at some supermarkets across the region
Victoria has recorded another 30 cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours as the infection rate continues to spike in the state.
Of the 30 new cases, five have been linked to hotel quarantine, seven have been linked to known outbreaks, five are from routine testing, and 13 are under investigation.
As a result of the recent spike, Victorian officials have begun implementing a testing blitz, with the aim to test 100,000 people in the state’s hotspot areas.
The suburbs being labelled as hotspots are Keilor Downs, Broadmeadows, Maidstone, Albanvale, Sunshine West, Hallam, Brunswick West, Fawkner, Reservoir and Pakenham.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday urged residents to comply with the testing regime as around 800 health workers descend on the various suburbs.
Support scaled back
Meanwhile, a request for help from Victoria to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has been scaled back, with only 150 military officers to be brought in, not 850.
The officers will help guard those in quarantine and assist health workers in setting-up testing sites.
Other Australian states and territories have sent testing kits to Victoria to help them meet their goal of 25,000 tests per day.
Death toll rises
Among yesterday’s surge came the news Australia’s death toll had also been revised up, from 103 to 104 coronavirus deaths.
The rise comes after an 85-year-old man’s cause of death was reclassified and instead attributed to COVID-19. He passed away in NSW back in April.
Earlier this week, another elderly Australian died after contracting COVID-19. The man in his 80s died in a Victorian hospital due to complications relating to the virus.
Toilet paper flying off shelves
Alongside a rise in COVID-19 cases, Coles and Woolworths stores in Victoria have seen a surge in panic-buying, with toilet paper, hand sanitiser, paper towels and pasta all being bought up.
The run on staples has now spread to Sydney, where social media users have begun complaining online about a lack of toilet paper.
Good god morons of the world – did you not learn last time?! Toilet paper hoarding doesn’t stop COVID-19! This is the toilet paper aisle at Coles Merrylands today – it was FULL last night 🙄🙄🙄 #Panicbuying pic.twitter.com/AWhb8p4jV3
— Andrew Gillman 🏳️🌈 👬🇦🇺 (@aussiemoose) June 25, 2020