Victoria will increase testing capacity after several people reported being turned away at various sites due to overwhelming demand, as thousands of travellers returned from NSW following the border closure.
There were 10 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases on Saturday, as well as two internationally-acquired cases in hotel quarantine.
Genomic sequencing tests have also confirmed Victoria’s outbreak cases originated from the New South Wales cluster.
Health Minister Martin Foley said that was a “significant vindication” of efforts to contain the virus spread.
“The genomic proof is in the pudding,” he told reporters on Saturday.
“This cluster originated from the combined North Shore-Croydon outbreak. That’s the science.”
More testing sites
There will be additional testing sites and more health professionals at centres across the state on Saturday.
“I appreciate some of the waiting times are long,” Victorian testing manager Jeroen Weimar said.
“We have thousands of staff coming back in, people coming back from holiday, from leave.”
He said people should be patient and should go home and isolate if they don’t get their turn.
“Just because a queue was a bit long, doesn’t mean there is a reason not to bother to get tested and go to the beach instead,” he said.
“If you can’t get through the queues I’m going to ask you to isolate.”
The 10 new cases recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday are all linked to the Black Rock restaurant cluster.
A further two cases in isolation have also been added to Victoria’s numbers after earlier detection in NSW following travel to its south coast region in December.
Victoria now has 29 active cases in isolation across the state.
Border chaos
The southern state’s border decision on Thursday prompted traffic bottlenecks as people raced to beat the Friday midnight closure.
Foley made no apologies for closing the border to NSW and said it was based on public health advice.
He acknowledged the widespread disruption for returning travellers and border communities.
Anyone who returns from NSW after the deadline must quarantine in a hotel for 14 days.
“I acknowledge the significant disruption and the significant implications that that has made,” Mr Foley said on Saturday.
Five exposure sites are among those authorities are most concerned about, including Buffalo Smile Thai restaurant.
Royal Brighton Yacht Club, Holy Family Parish Catholic Church in Doveton, the clubhouse bar at Woodlands Golf Club in Mordialloc and the Village Cinema at Century City in Glen Waverley are also areas of concern.
Western Australia, the Northern Territory, South Australia and Tasmania have all further hardened their borders as a result of fresh cases in recent days.
The latest cases of community transmission include two previously-announced people linked to a bayside Thai restaurant who then travelled to NSW.
The Victorian government sent out a statement on Friday saying the pair attended the Buffalo Smile Thai restaurant on 21 December.
They travelled to Lakes Entrance a week later on 28 and 29 December, then went on to Bega and Bermagui in NSW.
Victorian public health authorities contacted them on 31 December, where they were already in a NSW COVID-19 testing line, a spokeswoman said. The pair is now isolating in Victoria.
Several cases are now linked to the Black Rock restaurant.
Pair fined for fleeing from police
Police are investigating after two people breached numerous public health orders after travelling from Victoria into NSW.
The pair fled from discussions with authorities at Melbourne Airport and drove to Goulburn in NSW. They each face a fine of at least $19,000.
“They came in from Canberra, they did not have the appropriate declaration material and they would have been heading straight into compulsory hotel quarantine,” Mr Foley said.
“They absconded. They disappeared in a vehicle and they were next heard of in Goulburn in New South Wales.”
He also responded to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s comments on Friday that a hard border was not the best use of resources.
“I don’t think Victorians would expect, given all that we’ve sacrificed last year, I don’t think Victorians would expect anything else from the government that wants to keep their safety and their well-being as its first priority,” he said.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your jurisdiction’s restrictions on gathering limits. If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
News and information is available in 63 languages at sbs.com.au/coronavirus. Please check the relevant guidelines for your state or territory: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, ACT, Tasmania.
