The Australian Defence Force will provide more than 1,000 personnel to help with the coronavirus response in Victoria.
Key points:
- The bulk of the ADF personnel will help with hotel quarantine
- Others will assist with logistics and testing
- The assistance was requested by Victoria following a spike in the number of new cases
The Federal Government received the request from Victoria overnight.
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said the 1,000 troops would include roughly 850 people to help with planning and assisting with the enforcement of hotel quarantine.
"Our soldiers are not law enforcement personnel … they are not security guards, but they are assisting those locations to make sure quarantine requirements are met," she said.
"What we have been doing for many months now is assisting states and territories with a wide range of tasks."
On Tuesday, 21,000 tests were carried out in Victoria, the highest number in a single day this year.
The Minister said about 200 medical personnel would work with Victorian authorities to speed up testing processes.
"What we're doing is, we're not doing testing ourselves, but we will be assisting the Victorian authorities at their 90 testing sites across the state," she said.
"We will provide logistics and also a range of medical staff to actually help speed up the processing time."
Assistance has also been sought from New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland.
The ABC understands the Victorian Government requested 300 ADF personnel for logistical support, including assistance in six designated hotspots and for help in dealing with hotel quarantine.
A man in his 80s died from coronavirus on Wednesday, bringing the state's death toll to 20.
It was the first death in more than a month and took the national total to 103.
Wednesday was the eighth consecutive day of double-digit increases in coronavirus cases.
A rise in community transmission of the virus prompted the State Government to declare six local government areas hotspots, including Hume, Darebin, Casey, Cardinia, Moreland and Brimbank.
More than 17,000 returned travellers have gone through 14 days of hotel quarantine in Victoria since the start of the pandemic.
Two separate coronavirus clusters have been linked to quarantine hotels — The Stamford Plaza Hotel and Rydges on Swanston Hotel.
Last week Victoria's Deputy Chief Health Officer Annaliese van Diemen said possible social distancing breaches by security guards working at the Stamford Plaza Hotel could have contributed to the outbreak.
Complacency about coronavirus virus prompts concern
A Victorian Government spokesperson said the state had requested the assistance as the Government continued to ramp up testing and community awareness in key hotspots.
"This support will mean we can get even more tests done and results back quickly — and a stronger effort to remind Victorians if you are sick, stay home and get tested," the spokesperson said.
"We thank our neighbouring states for agreeing to provide support, which will ensure we keep Victorians safe."
Australian Medical Association president Tony Bartone said the deployment of more defence personnel sent a "strong message" about the seriousness of the virus.
"Complacency has possibly started to set in and it is a reminder that the virus is still there," he said.
Dr Bartone said he expected the military would help bolster the "logistical response and the expertise" at the front line.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMia2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA2LTI1L3ZpY3RvcmlhLWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWFkZi1wZXJzb25uZWwtc2VudC1pbi1ob3RlbC1xdWFyYW50aW5lLzEyMzkwNDg20gEnaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuYWJjLm5ldC5hdS9hcnRpY2xlLzEyMzkwNDg2?oc=5
2020-06-24 23:23:26Z
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