Covid Victoria: Outbreak grows after people flout isolation orders
Victoria has recorded 50 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday as the state's latest outbreak shows no signs of quickly coming under control.
Only 11 cases had been in quarantine throughout their infectious period, the health department said.
"Of the 50 local cases recorded, 40 are linked to current outbreaks and 10 are under investigation," it tweeted this morning.
The 10 mystery cases today is down from 22 mystery cases yesterday.
Encouragingly, the overall number is down from the 71 local cases Victoria recorded on Monday but with mounting mystery cases, the Delta strain in threatening to evade contact tracers and prolong the lockdown.
Of Monday's cases, 55 were not isolating when they should have been with premier Daniel Andrews pleading with Victorians to isolate for their entire infectious period when required.
"If you're asked to isolate, it is incredibly important that you do that," he said.
"There's no ducking down the shops or going and visiting someone. There's no room for error."
The state conducted 48,424 Covid tests in the 24-hour reporting period.
Dozens of staff from another major Melbourne hospital are isolating after being exposed to the virus.
St Vincent's Hospital confirmed 24 emergency department staff are now in quarantine after being "potentially exposed to Covid-19", a spokesman said on Monday night.
It comes after staff at Royal Melbourne Hospital tested positive after caring for a Shepparton man with the disease.
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The state's Covid Testing Commander Jeroen Weimar told the public on Monday to keep the faith as authorities work around the clock "to run after all these cases".
If Victorians continued to work together then "we can absolutely" put a ring around the outbreak and come out of lockdown on September 2, he said.
"Those numbers will continue to rise but the onus is now on the wider community because this Delta moves wildly quickly."
with AAP
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