Michaela Meade
Two new COVID-19 cases included in today’s numbers are connected to the Coolaroo cluster.
The cluster, previously known as the City of Hume cluster, now has 14 cases across five households connected to it.
There were 26 new locally acquired cases of the virus announced today, with 24 of the cases in isolation for the entirety of their infectious period, according to COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar.
Mr Weimar said one case was in the community for a single day during their infectious period.
One case was in East Gippsland when she was informed she was a primary close contact and Mr Weimar said she demonstrated “exemplary” COVID-safe behaviours until getting into isolation.
“What we’re seeing is a fantastically high level of compliance,” Mr Weimar said.
“Isolation is critically important.
“We have to sustain that isolation, that is how we’ll… get on top of this outbreak.”
It comes as new tier one and tier two exposure sites were identified in Roxburgh Park and Craigieburn.
Health Minister Martin Foley confirmed the Hume family who travelled to Victoria from Sydney, and were the initial COVID-19 cases in the area in the most recent outbreak, will not be fined.
The family had travelled to the state under a red zone permit and were required to quarantine for 14 days.
A member of the family breached isolation and attended both Coles at Craigieburn Central Shopping Centre and Metro Petroleum at Broadmeadows.
Mr Foley said the family had been “forthcoming” with contact tracers.
“They readily shared [information],” he said.
“Because there was a clear, clear set of engagements around the forthcoming nature of those discussions, the ready provision of the information, I want to thank those linked households for their engagement.
“That family clearly breached the rule in terms of how it applied but did so in a particular set of circumstances, in a particular set of arrangements, with no ill intent.
“The sad truth is that as a result of very close family contacts within that community, it is now spread across a number of households.”
Mr Foley said that despite the family breaching isolation requirements, he was “reassured” by the co-operation of the community.
“The community in the northern suburbs have been through this before and are doing an outstanding job,” he said.
“I’m quite reassured by the co-operation from the communities of the northern suburbs to be completely engaged and upfront… with officials.
“I’m more than hopeful… that we have our arms around this [outbreak].”
For information on exposure sites: www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/exposure-sites
To find out where to get tested: www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/where-get-tested-covid-19
