Victoria records six new Covid cases as lockdown decision looms
Victoria has recorded six new locally acquired Covid-19 cases as millions face a nervous wait to see if the state will lengthen its seven-day lockdown and how long any extension could last for.
The Department of Health announced the community cases from Tuesday on Wednesday morning, taking the state's local cases since last Monday to 60.
The state government is expected to make an imminent decision on whether to extend its lockdown, with the additional cases likely to fuel concern over the virus's spread across Melbourne.
One of the cases is a man who holidayed with his family in NSW before returning to Victoria. His wife and two children have subsequently tested positive and are among Wednesday's total.
One case is linked to the Stratton Finance outbreak in Port Melbourne and was already in quarantine.
The final case is linked to the Brighton Beach Hotel and lives in Anglesea where there are now subsequent exposure sites.
Victorians once again responded strongly to calls for testing, with 51,033 coming forward in the 24 hours to midnight on Tuesday.
Acting Premier James Merlino and Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton are understood to be looking to extend the lockdown to at least early next week, the Herald Sun understands.
Leading UNSW epidemiologist Professor Mary-Louise McLaws said she believes the lockdown should be extended by a minimum of seven days, warning it could be much longer.
"I think Victoria needs to steel themselves for at least another week or more," she told Channel Nine's Today show.
The number of exposure sites connected to the outbreak has reached 351 and includes country petrol stations in Wallan, Euroa and Glenrowan.
The Department of Health testing chief Jeroen Weimar revealed his concern over transmission between strangers after about five cases where the virus was caught where there merely "fleeting contact".
The concerning spread of the Indian variant has also prompted authorities to encourage visitors to 14 shopping hubs across Melbourne over the past two weeks to come forward for testing.
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