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SYDNEY: The Australian state at the center of the country’s second wave COVID-19 outbreak is deepening its contact tracing program to try to maintain a steady decline in daily new cases, amid criticism for its handling of the crisis .
The state of Victoria, home to a quarter of Australia’s 25 million people, recorded 55 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours through Tuesday (September 8) morning. That was up from 41 new cases the day before, but well below the record daily increase of 725 a month ago.
The Victoria outbreak now accounts for around 75 percent of Australia’s nearly 26,400 cases and 90 percent of its 770 deaths. It has sparked the most visible rift between a state government and Australia’s federal government over the country’s handling of the pandemic, which has included an emergency cabinet of leaders from both levels of government.
State Prime Minister Daniel Andrews reintroduced strict movement restrictions in the state capital Melbourne in early August, including a nightly curfew, as most other states and territories relaxed lockdown measures.
READ: Australia extends Melbourne lockdown despite drop in COVID-19 cases
Victoria’s measures, which were due to end over the weekend, were widely extended until September 28, albeit with some small changes that relaxed some aspects of the restrictions.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt told 3AW radio station on Tuesday that Victoria could have avoided a second wave and could have eased restrictions earlier if its virus-tracking system were more like that of New South Wales. Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned of the cost of the Melbourne blockade to the national economy.
Andrews, while not directly accepting the criticism, said Monday that it would establish five “suburban” contact tracing teams that specialize in geographic parts of the state, making it easier to identify specific places where people have been infected.
He said he would also send representatives to the larger New South Wales, which has kept its daily rate of new infections below 22 since April, to observe practices there “to double and triple check that there is nothing that can be changed, nor no information, no experience. ” .
Andrews said Tuesday’s daily case numbers showed Victoria was on the right track.
“I know those rules are not easy,” Andrews said at a televised news conference.
“I think they will soon be able to take some important steps because the trend is with us, the trend is good,” he added, referring to Victorians living in regional areas that are also under heavy restrictions.
Neighboring New South Wales reported nine new cases in the 24 hours through Tuesday, while the northern state of Queensland reported one. Most of the other regions have been case-free for weeks.
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