Coronavirus elimination possible: Vic CHO
Eliminating coronavirus in Australia could be possible if testing ramps up to include people without symptoms, Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton says.
Professor Sutton said the low numbers of new infections meant Australia was on its way to zero cases.
“If we were to carry on with the trajectory that we are on we could see zero cases in a month from now,” he said.
Elimination of the virus could happen if testing is expanded to people without symptoms.
“That would mean lots of testing, lots of individuals coming forward potentially trying to work out if there’s asymptomatic transmission,” he said.
Prof Sutton confirmed seven more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Victoria since Monday, bringing the state’s total to 1336, although around 1200 have recovered.
Twenty-eight people are in hospital with the virus, including 12 in intensive care.
A person in quarantine at a city hotel is among the latest cases, having recently returned from overseas.
“As long as there are returning Australians we’ll see a few cases ticking over, but they are not as concerning in terms of transmission,” he told ABC Radio Melbourne.
Despite talk of easing restrictions, Victorians are only allowed to leave home for Logical operations Exam dumps food and supplies, medical care and caregiving, exercise, work or education.
Some 89 fines were issued by police for breaches in the past 24 hours to Tuesday morning, including a Frankston massage parlour owner and two workers at the premises.
Five people were also nabbed in a car together in Williamstown, while a drunk person was found on a train far from home.
Officers have done 25,814 spot checks since March 21.
Dozens of Victorians described feeling intimidated, fearful and discriminated against by police enforcing the state’s lockdown laws in a report by Covid Policing, an organisation founded by Amnesty International, the Grata Fund and community legal centres.
In one case, a woman on her way to a supermarket in Melbourne’s CBD said police searched her bag without explaining why.
“I don’t mind being asked why we are on the streets but it was not friendly and was more of an interrogation than fact-finding,” she said.
“The fact that we were shopping for essentials was enough to know we had left the house for a valid reason.”
A couple in Melton West said they were fined when 50 metres from their home after bumping into a neighbour while on a walk.
Last week, Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said he would review every fine issued after a number of fines left people confused.
On Tuesday, Mr Patton launched Operation Ribbon to combat an expected spike in family violence during the pandemic.
Victoria Police will contact victims of family violence and check perpetrators are complying with court orders and management plans.
The lapse time for interim family violence intervention orders and personal safety intervention orders, meanwhile, will be extended from 28 days to three months.
The measure is a part of an omnibus bill, unveiled on Tuesday by Attorney-General Jill Hennessy.
The temporary changes to the health system, courts, local government and rental market in response to the pandemic are set to be passed during an emergency one-day sitting of parliament on Thursday.
Fifteen people have died from the coronavirus in Victoria.