August 18, 2020

Andrew Campbell 

According to Australia Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) epidemiologist Dr. Charles Alpren, 90% of Victoria's active COVID-19 cases were traced back to a family of four staying at Melbourne's Rydges on Swanston Hotel. One member of the family had symptoms of the COVID-19 virus on May 9, and the other 3 family members became symptomatic over the next three days.

On May 25 three people who worked at Rydges on Swanston Hotel showed symptoms of COVID-19. By June 18, 17 other people had tested positive linked to the Rydges outbreak.

Meanwhile, 2 smaller outbreaks originated at the Stamford Plaza Hotel: one from a man who returned to Australia on June 1 and another from a couple who landed on June 11. Later 46 people had acquired the COVID-19 virus after one month in two distinct chains of transmission linked to the Stamford Plaza Hotel. Accordingly, approximately 99% of current COVID-19 cases in Victoria have arisen from Rydges or Stamford Hotel.

Since August 2 Melbourne has been 4 weeks to go of its six-week Stage 4 restrictions. Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said on August 18 the state needed to know the levels of community transmission prior to entering a new phase. However, Mr. Andrews has indicated the state would not be able to exit Stage 4 restrictions if testing rates continue to drop while the state has surpassed 40,000 daily tests at the peak of the second wave. Therefore, inquiries in Melbourne and Canberra have been looking at hotel quarantine in Victoria. In addition, Mr. Andrews and Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton urged more tests across Melbourne and the rest of Victoria and asked anyone with the slightest of symptoms to come forward.

Photo:Webshot.