Sudden spike in COVID-19 cases in Victoria overnight as a coronavirus-riddled abattoir becomes the source of one of Australia's worst outbreaks
- Victoria recorded another 17 cases of the deadly respiratory virus overnight
- Four are linked to meat processing factory Cedar Meats in Melbourne's west
- Seven are returned travellers and a further six are under investigation
- Forty-nine positive cases have been linked to the meat factory so far
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
The number of COVID-19 cases in Victoria has spiked overnight as a virus-riddled abattoir becomes the source of one of the nation's worst outbreaks.
Victoria recorded another 17 cases of the deadly virus on Wednesday morning with four new infections linked to Cedar Meats in Brooklyn, west Melbourne.
Among the new cases were seven returned travellers.
The circumstances surrounding a further six cases are being investigated.
Eight people remain in hospital with the virus in Victoria, including six in intensive care.
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A total of 49 cases have been linked to the outbreak at Cedar Meats in Brooklyn, west of Melbourne
The growing meat works cluster comes as the department of health confirmed the first case connected to the site was recorded more than a month ago.
After a few days with low rates of new infections, 49 cases have been linked to the outbreak at the Brooklyn facility.
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The first case at the abattoir was identified on April 2, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
But because the worker had not been on site while infectious, Cedar Meats was not considered an exposure site.
There are 6,856 known cases of coronavirus in Australia, including 97 deaths. Victoria has had 1,423 cases and 18 deaths
The second case linked to the workplace was diagnosed on April 24, followed by a third case about 24 hours later of a person who had been a patient at Sunshine Hospital after his thumb was severed in a workplace accident at the factory.
He later developed symptoms and tested positive for the virus.
The department says those two cases were the first indication of a possible cluster and the source of infection is still under investigation.
It wasn't until April 29 that the department took additional actions, including testing all staff.
The state government didn't release the name of the business, but the Cedar Meats general manager Tony Kairouz confirmed the factory was the source of the infections in a statement on Tuesday.
'We worked closely with DHHS and by the end of the day Friday 1 May, all staff had been sent for testing.'
Two weeks prior to the spike in cases, Cedar Meats fulfilled an order of mutton which was shipped to Wuhan, China.
'The increase in cases illustrates once again that while we have been flattening the curve, our battle against COVID-19 is far from over,' Victoria's Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said.
Premier Daniel Andrews is set to maintain all social distancing restrictions until May 11 based on expert advice.
To obtain more detailed information about whether Victoria should follow other states and lift some of these restrictions, the government is aiming to achieve an extra 100,000 tests in two weeks.
On Tuesday, health authorities identified 17 new cases in Victoria. Of those, 11 were linked to the Cedar Meats cluster.
Nineteen cases were identified there on Monday.
About 162,000 people in total have tested so far since testing began months ago.
The state has recorded 1,423 cases so far with 18 deaths.
The Victorian Government has set up additional COVID-19 testing clinics across Melbourne in a bid to test up to 100,000 people in two weeks. Pictured: Medical workers take information at a drive-through testing clinic at Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre in Melbourne
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