Tara Murray
Victorians will remain in lockdown past Thursday as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to cause concern.
Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday said that the case numbers were too high to come out of lockdown on Thursday.
He said further details about how long the extension may go for and any possible easing of restrictions would come during the week.
Mr Andrews was joined by community leaders from Melbourne’s north-west on Sunday to make an impassioned plea for residents to get tested and vaccinated.
He said many people were delaying getting tested, which resulted in the virus spreading.
More than two-thirds of the 92 cases on Sunday were linked to suburbs in Melbourne’s north-west.
On Monday there were 73 new cases announced, with 52 of them linked to existing cases.
Several new exposure sites in Brimbank were added by the Department of Health over the weekend.
There are currently exposure sites in Keilor Park, Deer Park, Hillside, Sydenham, Ardeer South, Braybrook, Cairnlea, Caroline Springs, Keilor Downs, St Albans, Taylors Hill and Tullamarine.
Shops in Keilor Central, Central West Plaza in Braybrook, Sunshine Marketplace and Brimbank Shopping Centre are also among the exposure sites.
Health Minister Martin Foley said on Monday that while numbers are stabilising, he couldn’t say if Victoria would be able to get back to zero cases.
“The situation has plateaued and the measures are kicking in,” he said.
“The strategy is the national cabinet agreed position that when we get to 70 per cent vaccination, when we get to 80 per cent, our options multiply.
“Getting vaccinated is the way out of this pandemic.”
Chief health officer Brett Sutton said that more than three quarters of the active cases are people aged 40 and under.
“That is not the demographic spread in our community,” he said.
“That is the effect of vaccination, that is telling a really promising story.”
