An additional 108 coronavirus cases in Victoria has led to nine public housing towers, involving 3000 residents, being completely and immediately locked down.
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Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said soon after 4pm Saturday that 25,553 people had been tested in the past 24 hours.
Mr Andrews said more testing had resulted in more positive tests and that had thrown up challenges.
He said the unacceptably high number of positive tests led to two additional suburbs - postcodes 3031 (Flemington) and 3051 (North Melbourne) - being added to the suburban lockdown, as of 11.50pm tonight.
The premier said that nine public housing towers in Flemington and Kensington would be completely locked down - effective immediately.
He said positive cases and the high density living arrangements in those towers led to the immediate lockdown decision.
The premier said the nine towers involved about 3000 residents in more than 1300 units.
The nine public housing towers will be locked down for at least five days, and up to a fortnight.
Mr Andrews said the aim was to test every resident living in the towers.
Support will be given to all the residents in those public housing towers to assist them during the next five days.
"This is a public health bushfire," he said, adding that if people were not getting tested, it was not possible to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The premier said if people were not getting tested then it was more likely the lockdowns would remain in place.
He said if people refused to be tested then they would stay in lockdown.
"There's no reason not to be tested," he said.
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